EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE
MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
1. _____________ is the result of changes in a population over time due to the process of
natural selection.
2. A change in the DNA sequence is called:
3. The ability of an organism to live to reproductive age and have offspring is
referred to as its:
4. An inherited characteristic that allows an organism to better survive is called:
5. Evolution is a result of:
6. Natural selection will only lead to evolution if it allows for an organism to:
7. How has modern technology helped to support the theory of evolution?
8. Which of the following is NOT a component of Darwin’s theory of natural
selection?
9. How can a mutation affect an individual? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY
10. A process by which genetic material from different individuals combines during
sexual reproduction is called:
11. Which of the following are examples of adaptations? CHECK ALL THAT APPLY.
12. When specific traits become more or less common completely by chance, it is
referred to as:
13. Genes can be removed from the gene pool of a population through a process
called:
14. Which of the following is NOT true with respect to natural selection? (Reading
Science)
15. There are four very important things that must happen in order for natural
selection to occur. Which of the following statements is incorrect with regard to the
requirements of natural selection? (Reading Science)
16. Charles Darwin was the first to come up with the theory of natural selection. In
his 1859 book On the Origin of Species, he stated that modern organisms have
evolved from common ancestors through the process of:
17. What evidence did Grant and Grant find to support the theory of natural
selection on the population of Darwin’s finches that were observed? (Reading
Science)
EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE
18. Traits that can be transferred from parents to offspring are known as:
19. A heritable trait that gives an individual a better chance of surviving in a
particular environment is called:
20. Which term most accurately describes the relationship between organisms that
need the same limited resources?
21. Why did the need for wisdom teeth in humans change?
22. What is the process that leads to changes in the inherited traits of a population
and is driven by differential reproductive success?
23. The variety of gene combinations that exist within a population is known as:
24. A process by which the heritable characteristics of a population change such that
the organisms in the population become better able to survive is called:
25. Which of the following is a source of genetic variation?
26. A species is defined as a population that can interbreed and:
27. The ability to become better suited for an environment is called:
28. Changes in the DNA that could lead to adaptations are called:
29. Individuals of a particular species living in the same place at the same time is
called:
30. Adaptations can increase an individual’s ability to survive and reproduce. This is
known as:
31. Competition will not occur if:
32. Which of the following conditions will not result in differential reproductive
success?
33. A single, distinct version of a gene is called:
34. Descent with modification from a pre-existing species is known as:
35. The most specific level of organism classification is known as:
36. A change in the DNA sequence of a chromosome is called:
37. The ability to produce fertile offspring is known as:
38. A source of knowledge gained through observation or experimentation is called:
39. Populations with low levels of genetic variation are very susceptible to diseases
and environmental changes, which can lead to:
EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE
40. ______ that are passed on to future generations will make a population more
successful as a whole.
41. The Galapagos finches have different beak shapes and sizes based on the food
sources available. These differences are likely a result of:
42. Hemoglobin contains the element _____, which binds to oxygen.
43. A mutated version of the gene that codes for hemoglobin could lead to:
44. Which of the following is NOT a symptom of sickle cell disease?
45. People with sickle cell trait have which of the following genotypes?
46. What is the effect of malaria on the frequency of the sickle cell allele in a
population?
47. What is the name of the parasite that is responsible for malaria?
48. Which individual is resistant to malaria?
49. _____________ is the result of changes in a population over time due to the process
of natural selection.
50. Studying which of the following would provide the best evidence that two
organisms share a common ancestor?
51. Studying the embryology of animals provides important evidence to support
claims of shared evolutionary history. What feature of embryology makes it capable
of providing data for common evolutionary history not readily available from other
sources?
52. Natural selection occurs when which of the following conditions are met?
53. The flightless cormorant of the Galapagos Islands is the only cormorant bird
which has lost its ability to fly. What is the most likely reason for this?
54. The mechanism of natural selection works, primarily, to change which of the
following:
55. The frequency of a certain trait in a population will increase over many
generations if which of the following are true:
56. For evolution to function, all the following characteristics of genes are necessary
EXCEPT:
57. A tool that groups organisms based on a characteristic displayed by all members
of the group is called:
EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE
58. A cladogram can be used to:
59. Human forelimbs share many structural similarities with a bat’s wing. This is an
example of:
60. A human and a chimpanzee have the same amino acid sequence for a protein
called cytochrome c. This is an example of:
61. What developmental homology do all chordates have in common?
62. Developmental homologies are structural similarities between two different
species that are observed during what life stage?
63. Similar structures between different species that are a result of common
ancestry are known as:
64. Which of the following is NOT an example of a homologous structure?
65. A period in Earth’s history when the diversity of life increased dramatically is
called the:
66. Structures that no longer have a purpose in an organism are called:
67. Older fossils appear in rock layers that are:
68. The theory that mitochondria and chloroplasts evolved from prokaryotic cells
that were consumed, but not digested, by other larger cells is called:
69. The study of past and present geographical distribution of species is called:
70. According the theory of continental drift, all the continents were once combined
to form a supercontinent called:
71. Which of the following is most likely to lead to similar amino acid sequences
between species?
72. Sometimes populations of the same species become separated and can no longer
exchange genetic material. This is called:
73. The idea that species evolve slowly over long periods of time is known as:
74. A form of evolution characterized by short, rapid bursts of evolutionary change
between long periods of very little change is called:
75. A period of time when little or no change occurs within a species is called:
EVOLUTION STUDY GUIDE
Open-Ended Response Questions
1. Describe two types of information that can be determined by the fossil record.
2. Describe how natural selection and evolution are related.
3. Explain the factors required for natural selection to occur in a population.
4. Based on genetic mapping, scientists have found an organism that has had a
significant change in their DNA sequence but no observable change in their traits.
Would this be considered natural selection? Why or why not?
5. A species of lizard has a color and body shape that resembles the leaves found in
its habitat. How has this species’ body color and shape evolved?
6. Other than predation, describe one other factor that could lead to natural
selection for a particular trait.