I can see your assignment questions on Evolution.
I’ll type out the answers for each question
clearly.
Q1. Define evolutionary biology.
Evolutionary biology is the branch of biology that studies the processes and patterns of
biological evolution, including the origin, diversification, and adaptation of organisms over
time.
Q2. Stellar distances are measured in ———.
Light years.
Q3. Universe is ——— years old.
About 13.7 billion years old.
Q4. What does Big Bang theory explain to us?
It explains the origin of the universe, stating that it began as a singularity around 13.7 billion
years ago and expanded to form galaxies, stars, and planets.
Q5. Earth was formed ——— years back.
About 4.5 billion years ago.
Q6. Life appeared ——— years after the formation of Earth.
About 500 million years after Earth's formation.
Q7. How origin of life occurred according to early Greek thinkers?
They believed in the concept of spontaneous generation, that life could arise from non-living
matter.
Q8. Explain theory of spontaneous generation for life origin.
Spontaneous generation proposed that living organisms could arise suddenly and directly
from non-living matter without any parent organism.
Q9. How Louis Pasteur demonstrated experiment to prove that life comes only from
pre-existing life?
Pasteur used swan-neck flasks containing nutrient broth. After boiling to kill microbes, no
growth occurred unless dust/microbes entered, proving life arises only from pre-existing life.
Q10. Explain Oparin & Haldane theory for origin of first form of life.
Oparin and Haldane suggested that life originated from simple organic molecules formed in
the primitive Earth's reducing atmosphere, which gradually evolved into complex molecules
and eventually into primitive life forms.
Q11. When a scientist created similar conditions in laboratory by S.L. Miller, what was
his observation about origin of life on earth?
Miller observed the formation of amino acids and other simple organic molecules, showing
that life’s building blocks could form under early Earth-like conditions.
Q12. What was the observation of other scientists in similar experiments (Miller’s
experiment)?
They also obtained various organic molecules like sugars, nitrogen bases, and lipids,
supporting the chemical evolution theory.
Q13. The first non-cellular forms of life could have originated about ——— billion
years back.
About 3 billion years back.
Q14. The first cellular form of life originated ——— years ago.
About 2 billion years ago.
Q15. Define biogenesis.
Biogenesis is the principle that living organisms can arise only from pre-existing living
organisms.
Q16. Write 3 generalizations of special creation theory.
1. All life was created by God.
2. Life forms were created in their present form and have not changed since creation.
3. Creation occurred over a short time period.
Q17. All ideas about special creation were strongly challenged during ——— century.
During the 19th century.
Q18. The sail ship ——— was used by Charles Darwin during his sea voyage.
H.M.S. Beagle.
Q19. What was the conclusion by Charles Darwin during his sea voyage?
He concluded that species evolve over time through natural selection, where individuals
better adapted to the environment survive and reproduce.
Q20. What are the natural conditions that enable the organism to survive better in
nature?
Favourable variations, availability of resources, environmental adaptability, and reproductive
success.
Q21. What is ‘fitness’ according to Darwin? How is it different from physical fitness of an
individual?
Answer: According to Darwin, fitness refers to the reproductive fitness of an organism—its
ability to survive, reproduce, and pass on its genes to the next generation.
• It is not necessarily related to physical strength or health.
• An organism may be physically weak but still have high fitness if it reproduces
successfully and produces viable offspring.
Q22. Mendelian population helps ecologists and evolutionists in studying heredity and
variation. Justify the statement.
Answer:
A Mendelian population is an interbreeding group of organisms sharing a common gene pool.
Studying its gene frequency and genetic variation helps ecologists and evolutionists
understand:
• Patterns of inheritance in natural populations.
• The role of mutation, recombination, migration, and natural selection in evolution.
• How populations adapt to environmental changes.
Q23. A geological history of earth closely correlates with the history of life. Justify.
Answer:
• Fossil records from different strata reveal the sequence of appearance and extinction
of organisms over geological time.
• Major geological events (e.g., volcanic activity, continental drift, ice ages) influenced
the evolution and distribution of life.
• The order of fossils in strata matches the evolutionary sequence predicted by biology.
Q24. Define fossils and palaeontology.
Answer:
• Fossils: Remains, impressions, or traces of ancient organisms preserved in rocks.
• Palaeontology: The scientific study of fossils to understand the history of life and
past environments.
Q25. Give an example of an extinct organism that was studied using fossils.
Answer: Dinosaurs — their bones, footprints, and eggs have been studied to understand their
structure, habits, and extinction.
Q26. How the age of fossils can be calculated?
Answer:
• Relative dating: Determining age by the position of fossils in sedimentary layers
(deeper layers are older).
• Absolute dating: Using radiometric techniques like carbon dating, potassium–argon
dating to estimate actual age.
Q27. Explain with the help of examples how comparative anatomy provides evidence for
evolution.
Answer:
• Homologous organs (e.g., forelimbs of whales, bats, humans) have similar structure
but different functions, indicating common ancestry.
• Analogous organs (e.g., wings of birds and insects) have different structures but
similar functions, indicating convergent evolution.
• Vestigial organs (e.g., human appendix) indicate evolutionary remnants of functional
organs in ancestors.
Q28. Why are the flippers of seals and forelimbs of mammals considered an example of
homology?
Answer:
They have the same skeletal framework (humerus, radius, ulna, carpals, metacarpals,
phalanges) but are adapted for different functions—swimming in seals, grasping or
locomotion in other mammals—showing common ancestry.
Q29. Adaptive radiation and divergent evolution.
Answer:
• Adaptive radiation: The evolution of different species from a common ancestor in
response to different ecological niches (e.g., Darwin’s finches).
• Divergent evolution: When related species evolve different traits due to adaptation to
varied environments, leading to increased differences over time.
Q30. Identify homologous and analogous organs and give reasons.
(a) Forelimbs of Bougainvillea and Cuscuta — Homologous, because both are modified
stem structures with the same origin but different functions.
(b) Heart of vertebrates — Homologous, same basic plan in structure.
(c) Eye of Planaria and Octopus — Analogous, similar function but different origin.
(d) Sweet potato and potato — Analogous, both store food but one is a root and the other a
stem.
(e) Flippers of Penguins and Dolphins — Analogous, same function (swimming) but
different evolutionary origin.