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Multiple Choice Quiz
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1
Prior to the 1800's people believed _____.
A)the earth was billions of years old
B)living things shared a common ancestor
C)species were specially created and fixed in time
D)species evolved in response to their environment
2
Darwin's major mission on the voyage of the HMS Beagle was to find evidence for the theory of natural selection.
A)True
B)False
3
Darwin single-handedly changed the world view of evolution.
A)True
B)False
4
The father of taxonomy who gave us the binomial system of nomenclature is _____.
A)Charles Darwin
B)Carolus Linnaeus
C)Gregor Mendel
D)Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck
5
Lamarck supported the idea of inheritance of acquired characteristics.
A)True
B)False
6
Carolus Linnaeus believed in _____.
A)an "ideal" structure and function
B)fixity of species
C)both A and B
D)neither A or B
7
Erasmus Darwin and Count Buffon (Leclerc) clearly described mechanisms by which evolutionary descent might have occurred.
A)True
B)False
8
Erasmus Darwin based his conclusions regarding common descent on _____.
A)changes undergone by animals during development
B)artificial selection by humans
C)the presence of vestigial organs
D)all of the above
9
Aristotle believed all organisms could be arranged in order of increasing complexity in a sequential ladder of life called the scala naturae.
A)True
B)False
10
Which of the following is true of the post-Darwinian view of the world?
A)the Earth is relatively old - age is measured in billions of years
B)species are related by descent
C)observations and experimentation are used to test hypotheses
D)all of the above
11
The suggestion that God created new sets of species after there had been worldwide mass extinctions is known as _____.
A)theory of acquired inheritance
B)uniformitarianism
C)catastrophism
D)natural selection
12
The first to use comparative anatomy to develop a system of classifying animals and the founder of the science of paleontology was _____.
A)Lamarck
B)Aristotle
C)Cuvier
D)Linnaeus
13
Phenotypic changes acquired during on organism's lifetime do not result in genetic changes that can be passed on to the next generation.
A)True
B)False
14
Which of the following is true of scientific thought/work prior to Lamarck, Charles Darwin, and Alfred Wallace?
A)a mechanism by which evolutionary descent occurred was clearly stated
B)Linneaus proposed taxonomic categories for organisms based on their genetic similarities
C)species were thought to be very diverse and constantly changing
D)none of the above
15
Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics _____.
A)is no longer a valid and accepted theory
B)presumes that changes to your somatic cells are inheritable - ie. you could inherit a sunburn
C)is not supported by modern day knowledge of genetic inheritance
D)all of the above
16
The notion that the long neck of a giraffe developed over time because the animals stretched their necks to reach food high in trees and then passed on a long neck to their offspring was proposed by _____.
A)Linnaeus
B)Cuvier
C)Wallace
D)Lamarck
17
Cuvier proposed the explanation of the history of life known as catatrophism to explain _____.
A)the presence of vestigial structures
B)similarities between Patagonian hares and rabbits
C)the succession of life-forms observed in the earth's strata in a particular region
D)the classification of organisms
18
According to the scala naturae the lowest rung of the ladder is occupied by _____.
A)human beings
B)the simplest and most material of beings
C)the most complex and most spiritual of beings
19
Fossils found in the lowest or deepest geological stratum (sedimentary layer) are generally most _____.
A)advanced
B)complex
C)primitive
20
Sedimentary rock _____.
A)often contains fossils
B)can be uplifted from below sea level to form land
C)both A and B
21
Charles Darwin attended medical school at Cambridge.
A)True
B)False
22
James Hutton believed that the earth was subject to slow but continuous cycles of erosion and uplift.
A)True
B)False
23
Lyell's theory that the earth's geological changes are the result of slow changes that occur at a uniform rate is known as _____.
A)theory of acquired inheritance
B)uniformitarianism
C)catastrophism
D)natural selection
24
Darwin encountered forms of life very different from those in his native England on his voyage aboard the HMS Beagle.
A)True
B)False
25
Darwin made some of his most famous observations of species' adaptations on the _____ Islands.
A)Virgin
B)Galapagos
C)Falkland
D)Philippines
26
Darwin collected fossil remains of a _____ on the east coast of South America.
A)long necked tortoises
B)a woodpecker type finch
C)an armadillo-like animal
D)all of the above
27
Which of the following observations contributed to Darwin's conclusion that the earth was very old?
A)inland marine shells well above sea level in Chile
B)Patagonian hares that resembled rabbits and guinea pigs
C)varying beak sizes of the finches on the Galapagos Islands
D)tortoises with varying neck lengths on the Galapagos Islands
28
Darwin found long-necked tortoises in _____.
A)dry areas where food was scarce
B)moist regions with abundant ground foliage
29
The study of the geographic distribution of living organisms on earth is called _____.
A)paleontology
B)taxonomy
C)biogeography
D)ecology
30
Wallace is also well known for his proposal that the world can be divided into six biogeographical regions separated by impassable barriers.
A)True
B)False
31
Darwin speculated that the Patagonian hare resembled a rabbit because _____.
A)the two types of animals were adapted to the same type of environment
B)they experienced common descent
32
The species Darwin encountered on the Galapagos Islands _____.
A)varied from island to island
B)were slightly different from the species Darwin observed on the mainland
C)both A and B
33
Natural selection as a process to explain the origin of species was proposed by _____.
A)Lyell
B)Wallace
C)Hutton
D)Linnaeus
34
The Patagonian hares Darwin found in South America resembed _____.
A)armadillos
B)guinea pigs
C)wallabies
D)both B and C
35
Prickly pear cacti are only treelike on the arid islands where the long-necked tortoises are found.
A)True
B)False
36
Which of the following did not contribute to Darwin's development of the theory of natural selection?
A)new ideas about the age of Earth, that it was much older than previously thought
B)a correlation between finch beak shape and the type of food eaten by the finch
C)Mendel's theories about genetic inheritance
D)all of the above facilitated Darwin's development of natural selection
37
Preconditions of natural selection include _____.
A)the members of a population have heritable variations
B)in a population many more individuals are produced each generation than can survive and reproduce
C)some individuals can survive and reproduce better than other individuals
D)all of the above
38
All the ground-dwelling finches that live on the Galapagos Islands have the same size and shape beaks.
A)True
B)False
39
The heavy beak of the large ground-dwelling is suited to a diet of _____.
A)prickly pear cacti
B)insects caught in the air
C)seeds
D)nectar from cactus flowers
40
Darwin speculated that a mainland finch was the common ancestor to the different species of finches on the Galapagos Islands.
A)True
B)False
41
An adaptation is a trait that helps an organism to be more suited to its environment.
A)True
B)False
42
Only certain members of a population survive and reproduce each generation.
A)True
B)False
43
The result of natural selection is _____.
A)extinction of a species
B)a group of organisms that can survive anywhere
C)a population that is adapted to its local environment
D)none of the above
44
Extinction can occur when previous adaptations are no longer suitable to a changed environment.
A)True
B)False
45
Variations in a population _____.
A)are caused by mutations
B)arise from the recombination of alleles during sexual reproduction
C)are essential to the natural selection process
D)all of the above
46
Darwin applied the concept of human reproductive potential stressed by Malthus to all organisms and concluded that _____.
A)the earth is much older than previously thought
B)the available resources were not sufficient for all members of a population to survive
C)variations are the result of allele recombinations during sexual reproduction
D)all of the above
47
Darwin was heavily influenced by _____ which made him think adaptation to the environment accounts for diversification.
A)biogeography
B)Malthus's essay on human reproductive potential
C)the geological observations of Lyell and Hutton
D)Lamarck's conclusions about the giraffes' necks
48
Before Darwin variations were considered to be imperfections that should be ignored since they were not important to the description of a species.
A)True
B)False
49
The most fit individuals _____.
A)capture a disproportionate amount of resources
B)have characteristics that help them capture prey and avoid being captured
C)have a larger number of viable offspring
D)all of the above
50
When humans determine which animals will reproduce _____ selection takes place.
A)natural
B)sexual
C)artificial
D)stabilizing
51
The many varieties of dogs today all descended from the wolf.
A)True
B)False
52
The mechanism by which adaptation to the environment occurs that was proposed by Darwin was _____.
A)artificial selection
B)uniformitarianism
C)catastrophism
D)natural selection
53
Which of these traits is likely to increase fitness?
A)a variation that increases speed of a hoofed animal
B)a variation that reduces water loss in a desert plant
C)a variation that increases the sense of smell in a wild dog
D)all of the above
54
Natural selection is the only process by which evolution can occur.
A)True
B)False
55
Darwin published his theory of natural selection immediately after returning from his voyage on the HMS Beagle.
A)True
B)False
56
Wallace and Darwin _____.
A)had conflicting ideas about evolution
B)simultaneously proposed natural selection as an evolutionary mechanism
C)traveled on the HMS Beagle together
D)were coauthors of The Origin of Species
57
Islands often have many unique species of animals and plants found no place else because of geographic isolation.
A)True
B)False
58
After separation of the continents marsupials diversified into many different forms in _____ because there were few, if any, placental mammals present.
A)Antarctica
B)Europe
C)Australia
D)North America
59
Darwin would not have used _____ evidence to support his hypothesis of common descent.
A)fossil
B)biochemical
C)anatomical
D)biogeographical
60
The fossil record of the _____ is complete enough for us to trace the history of the organism.
A)human
B)dog
C)horse
D)snake
61
There are several fossils that serve as transitional links between groups of organisms.
A)True
B)False
62
Intermediate fossils include __________.
A)Eustheopteron
B)Seymouria
C)Caudipteryx
D)all of the above
63
Which of the following is an example of a living fossil?
A)the dawn redwood
B)a horseshoe crab
C)the coelacanth fish
D)all of the above
64
Speciation that occurred by punctuated equilibrium produced many fossilized transitional links.
A)True
B)False
65
Phyletic gradualism says ______.
A)evolutionary change is rather slow and steady
B)when the fossil record is complete, it will clearly indicate when speciation took place
C)transitional links are not likely to become fossils, nor to be found
D)all of the above
66
It appears that gradual evolutionary processes are the norm, but environmental disturbances promote rapid evolutionary change and replacement of old species by new species.
A)True
B)False
67
Darwin concluded that South America lacked rabbits because the environment was not suitable to them.
A)True
B)False
68
Which of the following statements is true?
A)marsupials are widely distributed throughout the world
B)cacti grow in North American and African deserts
C)each different Galapagos finch had a different ancestral finch from the mainland
D)none of the above
69
Select the structures which are analogous.
A)bird's wing and whale's flipper
B)bird's wing and dog's front leg
C)whale's flipper and monkey's arm
D)bat's wing and insect's wing
70
Which of the following is not homologous to the others?
A)alligator's forelimb
B)whale's flipper
C)insect's wing
D)cow's forelimb
71
Anatomical structures that are fully developed in one group of organisms but are reduced and have no function in similar groups are called _____.
A)vestigial structures
B)homologous structures
C)analogous structures
72
Homologous structures _____.
A)have similar structures
B)were inherited from a common ancestor
C)are exemplified by vertebrate forelimbs
D)all of the above
73
At some time during embryonic development all vertebrates have postanal tails and pharyngeal pouches.
A)True
B)False
74
Analogous structures _____.
A)share a common ancestry
B)have similar structures
C)serve the same function
D)all of the above
75
Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?
A)whale pelvic bone
B)bat wing
C)pharyngeal pouch
D)parathyroid gland
76
The grand unifying theory of biology is the theory of evolution.
A)True
B)False
77
Evolutionary principles help us understand _____.
A)why organisms are different and alike
B)why some species flourish
C)why some species become extinct
D)all of the above
78
In science a theory is a conceptual scheme that is supported by a large number of observations that have not yet been found lacking.
A)True
B)False
79
The hypothesis of common descent is supported by _____.
A)similarity in DNA base sequences
B)homologous structures
C)embryological development
D)all of the above
80
Which of the following is biochemical evidence that supports the hypothesis of common descent?
A)use of the same DNA triplet code and the same amino acids in different organisms' proteins
B)homologous structures like the forelimbs of vertebrates
C)vestigial structures like the pelvic bones of snakes
D)all of the above
81
Evo-devo researchers have found that many developmental genes are shared in animals ranging from worms to humans.
A)True
B)False





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