- 1. Evolution is the process by which species of organisms change over time through the gradual accumulation of small genetic modifications. This process results in the development of new species that are better adapted to their environments. Evolution is driven by factors such as natural selection, genetic drift, and mutation, shaping the diversity of life on Earth. Charles Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection is a central tenet in the field of biology, providing a framework to understand the complexities of life's development and diversity.
What is the primary driving force behind evolution?
A) Mutation
B) Natural selection
C) Gene flow
D) Genetic drift
- 2. Which scientist is credited with proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection?
A) Alfred Russel Wallace
B) Gregor Mendel
C) Charles Darwin
D) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
- 3. What is the process by which new species evolve from a common ancestor called?
A) Selection
B) Adaptation
C) Speciation
D) Mutation
- 4. Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
A) Wings of bats and wings of birds
B) Lungs of birds and gills of fish
C) Eyes of humans and eyes of octopuses
D) Legs of horses and legs of dogs
- 5. What is the term for changes in the genetic makeup of a population over time?
A) Mutation
B) Adaptation
C) Genome
D) Evolution
- 6. What is the study of the geographic distribution of species called?
A) Genetics
B) Ecology
C) Biogeography
D) Paleontology
- 7. In which geological era did the first mammals appear?
A) Mesozoic
B) Paleozoic
C) Precambrian
D) Cenozoic
- 8. Which of the following is considered the founder of modern genetics?
A) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
B) Charles Darwin
C) Alfred Russel Wallace
D) Gregor Mendel
- 9. What is the term for the grouping of organisms based on shared characteristics?
A) Genetics
B) Physiology
C) Taxonomy
D) Ecology
- 10. Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?
A) Predator-prey coevolution
B) Breeding dogs for specific traits
C) Genetic drift in small populations
D) Adaptation to environmental changes
- 11. What is the name of the process where a few individuals colonize a new habitat, leading to reduced genetic variation?
A) Founder effect
B) Gene flow
C) Mutation
D) Bottleneck effect
- 12. What is the term for a species that no longer has any living members?
A) Threatened
B) Vulnerable
C) Endangered
D) Extinct
- 13. What is the term for a change in the frequency of a gene variant in a population over time?
A) Mutation
B) Gene flow
C) Genetic drift
D) Natural selection
- 14. What is the term for structures that are inherited from a common ancestor but have different functions?
A) Homologous structures
B) Analogous structures
C) Vestigial structures
D) Convergent structures
- 15. What is the term for the accumulation of differences between groups which can lead to the formation of new species?
A) Mutation
B) Divergence
C) Speciation
D) Convergence
- 16. Which of the following is evidence for evolution?
A) Fossil record
B) Superstitions
C) Biblical creation story
D) Ancient myths
- 17. What is the term for the process of two species evolving in response to each other?
A) Divergent evolution
B) Parallel evolution
C) Convergent evolution
D) Coevolution
- 18. What is the term for the study of changes in allele frequencies in a population over time?
A) Biogeography
B) Population genetics
C) Ecology
D) Paleontology
- 19. Which scientist proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium alongside gradualism?
A) E.O. Wilson
B) Richard Dawkins
C) Jared Diamond
D) Stephen Jay Gould
- 20. Which term describes the process by which a single species diversifies into many descendant species?
A) Adaptive radiation
B) Heterozygote advantage
C) Bottleneck effect
D) Genetic drift
- 21. What is the primary source of genetic variation in a population?
A) Gene flow
B) Natural selection
C) Genetic drift
D) Mutation
- 22. What is the idea that evolution proceeds in small, gradual steps known as?
A) Convergence
B) Punctuated equilibrium
C) Adaptive radiation
D) Gradualism
- 23. What process describes the exchange of genetic material between different populations of a species?
A) Natural selection
B) Bottleneck effect
C) Gene flow
D) Genetic drift
- 24. What is the term for the variety of life on Earth and the ecological processes that sustain it?
A) Biome
B) Biodiversity
C) Ecosystem
D) Habitat
- 25. What is the idea that species arise from a single common ancestor called?
A) Polyphyletic origin
B) Common descent
C) Spontaneous generation
D) Creationism
- 26. Which term describes the change in allele frequencies within a population from generation to generation?
A) Macroevolution
B) Parallel evolution
C) Coevolution
D) Microevolution
- 27. Which type of mimicry occurs when a harmless species mimics a harmful one for protection?
A) Müllerian mimicry
B) Aggressive mimicry
C) Crypsis
D) Batesian mimicry
- 28. What evolutionary pattern describes a rapid diversification of a single lineage into a variety of forms?
A) Radiation
B) Adaptation
C) Convergence
D) Bottleneck effect
- 29. Which term describes the study of the history of life on Earth based on the fossil record?
A) Climatology
B) Ecology
C) Biogeography
D) Paleontology
- 30. Which process describes the transmission of traits from parents to offspring?
A) Heredity
B) Adaptation
C) Mutation
D) Selection
- 31. What term describes structures that have reduced or no function in one species but are homologous to functional structures in other species?
A) Analogous
B) Phenotype
C) Vestigial
D) Derived
- 32. Which scientist is known for proposing the theory of genetic drift as a mechanism of evolution in small populations?
A) Sewall Wright
B) Alfred Russel Wallace
C) Barbara McClintock
D) Thomas Hunt Morgan
- 33. Which scientist is known for proposing the concept of the modern synthesis, merging genetics with natural selection?
A) Theodosius Dobzhansky
B) Ernst Mayr
C) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
D) George C. Williams
- 34. What is the study of comparative similarities and differences in organisms known as?
A) Bioinformatics
B) Comparative anatomy
C) Symbiogenesis
D) Embryology
- 35. Which scientist proposed the concept of punctuated equilibrium along with Stephen Jay Gould?
A) George Gaylord Simpson
B) Ernst Mayr
C) Richard Dawkins
D) Niles Eldredge
- 36. Which scientist is known for proposing the concept of continental drift and plate tectonics influencing evolution?
A) Alfred Wegener
B) Charles Lyell
C) Tuzo Wilson
D) James Hutton
- 37. Which concept refers to the transfer of traits acquired during an organism's lifetime to its offspring?
A) Neo-Darwinism
B) Catastrophism
C) Uniformitarianism
D) Lamarckism
- 38. What is the term for a feature that has evolved for one purpose but is co-opted for another purpose?
A) Altruism
B) Atavism
C) Exaptation
D) Polygenesis
- 39. What term describes an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment?
A) Adaptation
B) Fitness
C) Mutation
D) Speciation
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