Evolution and Natural Selection (Darwinian Concepts)

Section 1: Multiple Choice Questions (20 Questions)

1. Charles Darwin's primary contribution to the theory of evolution was the concept
of:
a) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
b) Natural selection
c) Uniformitarianism
d) Spontaneous generation
2. According to the theory of natural selection, what is the main driving force of
evolution?
a) The desire of an organism to change
b) The need to develop new traits
c) Competition for limited resources and differential survival/reproduction
d) The random chance of survival
3. The term "fitness" in an evolutionary context refers to an organism's:
a) Physical strength and speed
b) Ability to survive and reproduce in its environment
c) Lifespan
d) Ability to acquire new traits during its lifetime
4. Which of the following is NOT one of the key observations Darwin made that led to
his theory?
a) All species have the potential to produce more offspring than can possibly
survive.
b) Populations tend to remain stable in size, except for seasonal fluctuations.
c) Environmental resources are limited.
d) Individual organisms can change their traits during their lifetime and pass these
changes on to their offspring.
5. The existence of different beak shapes among Darwin's finches on the Galápagos
Islands is a classic example of:
a) Genetic drift
b) Adaptive radiation
c) Artificial selection
d) Stabilizing selection
6. Which of the following provides evidence for evolution through homologous
structures?
a) The wing of a bee and the wing of a bird.
b) The flipper of a whale, the arm of a human, and the wing of a bat.
c) The streamlined body shape of a shark and a dolphin.
d) The eyes of an octopus and the eyes of a human.
7. The process where humans choose individuals with desirable traits to breed is
called:
a) Natural selection
b) Artificial selection
c) Sexual selection
d) Genetic drift
8. In the context of natural selection, "variation" refers to:
a) The different habitats organisms live in.
b) The different stages of an organism's life cycle.
 c) The differences that exist among individuals within a species.
d) The changes an organism undergoes during its lifetime.
9. The development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria is a modern-day example of:
a) Evolution by natural selection
b) The inheritance of acquired characteristics
c) Speciation through geographic isolation
d) A process that has stopped evolution
10. A structure that has lost much or all of its original function in the course of
evolution, such as the human appendix, is called a:
a) Homologous structure
b) Analogous structure
c) Vestigial structure
d) Fossilized structure
11. According to Darwin's theory, individuals with traits that are better suited to their
environment are more likely to:
a) Mutate
b) Survive, reproduce, and pass on those traits
c) Acquire new traits
d) Move to a different environment
12. The fossil record provides evidence for evolution by:
a) Showing that species have remained unchanged over millions of years.
b) Revealing the exact genetic code of past organisms.
c) Documenting that life on Earth has changed over time and showing transitional
forms.
d) Proving that all life began at the same time.
13. The idea that evolution occurs through the accumulation of small, gradual changes
over long periods of time is known as:
a) Punctuated equilibrium
b) Gradualism
c) Catastrophism
d) Saltation
14. What was the name of the ship on which Charles Darwin served as a naturalist,
leading to his groundbreaking observations?
a) HMS Endeavour
b) HMS Beagle
c) HMS Victory
d) The Santa Maria
15. The concept that all living things are related and have descended from a common
ancestor is known as:
a) Natural selection
b) Common descent
c) Artificial selection
d) Speciation
16. What is the ultimate source of all new genetic variation in a population?
a) Natural selection
b) Adaptation
c) Genetic drift
d) Mutation
17. The forelimbs of a human, a cat, a whale, and a bat are considered homologous
because they:
 a) Have the same function.
b) Have a similar underlying bone structure, inherited from a common ancestor.
c) Are the same size and shape.
d) Evolved independently to perform a similar task.
18. What was the title of Charles Darwin's seminal book, published in 1859, that
detailed his theory of evolution?
a) The Principles of Geology
b) The Voyage of the Beagle
c) On the Origin of Species
d) The Laws of Inheritance
19. Which of these scenarios best illustrates natural selection?
a) A gardener selects the roses with the brightest red color to breed.
b) In a forest, peppered moths with darker coloration are better camouflaged from
predators on soot-covered trees and thus survive to reproduce more often.
c) A chimpanzee learns to use a stick to extract termites from a mound.
d) A random flood wipes out half of a beetle population, regardless of their traits.
20. A population of insects is sprayed with a new insecticide. Most of the insects die,
but a few survive. In the next generation, the insecticide is used again, and a higher
percentage of insects survive. This is because:
a) The surviving insects learned to avoid the insecticide.
b) The insecticide caused a beneficial mutation in the surviving insects.
c) The few surviving insects had a pre-existing genetic resistance, which they
passed on to their offspring.
d) The insects developed resistance during their lifetime and passed it on.

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks (10 Questions)

1. Evolution is the process of change in the heritable characteristics of biological

__________ over successive generations.
2. Any inherited trait that increases an organism's chance of survival and reproduction
in a specific environment is called an __________.
3. The preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms are called __________.
4. Darwin's theory was heavily influenced by his observations of different species on
the __________ Islands.
5. The "struggle for existence" describes the competition among organisms for limited
__________ like food, water, and shelter.
6. Structures that have a similar function but did not evolve from a common ancestor,
like the wings of an insect and a bird, are called __________ structures.
2s. The process by which one species evolves into two or more new species is
called __________.
7. The mechanism of evolution proposed by Jean-Baptiste Lamarck was the
inheritance of __________ characteristics.
8. Similarities in the early developmental stages of different vertebrate species provide
__________ evidence for evolution.
9. The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem is known as
__________.

Section 3: True or False (10 Questions)

(Indicate whether each statement is True (T) or False (F).)
 1. ___ Individual organisms can evolve during their own lifetime according to
Darwin's theory.
2. ___ Natural selection acts on existing variation within a population.
3. ___ The theory of evolution states that humans evolved directly from modern-day
chimpanzees.
4. ___ Artificial selection is a process driven by human intervention, not
environmental pressures.
5. ___ The fossil record is complete and shows a perfect, unbroken history of all life
on Earth.
6. ___ An adaptation that is advantageous in one environment will be advantageous in
all environments.
7. ___ According to natural selection, organisms produce more offspring than can
possibly survive.
8. ___ The flipper of a dolphin and the wing of a bat are analogous structures.
9. ___ Genetic mutations are always harmful to an organism.
10. ___ The theory of evolution by natural selection is one of the central, unifying
principles of modern biology.

Section 4: Short Answer & Practical Application Questions (10 Questions)

1. Explain the four key components or observations that form the basis of Darwin's
theory of evolution by natural selection.
2. What is the difference between a homologous structure and an analogous structure?
Provide a clear example of each.
3. Why is variation within a species so important for its long-term survival, especially
in a changing environment?
4. Describe how the development of antibiotic resistance in a population of bacteria is
a clear, real-world example of natural selection in action.
5. Charles Darwin was influenced by the work of geologist Charles Lyell, who
proposed that the Earth was very old and had changed gradually over time. Why
was the idea of an "old Earth" crucial for Darwin's theory of evolution?
6. If you are a dog breeder who wants to create a new breed of dog that is very small
and has long hair, what process would you use and how would you do it?
7. What is a "vestigial structure"? Name one example in humans and explain why its
existence is considered evidence for evolution.
8. Explain the concept of "common descent" and describe one piece of evidence that
supports it (e.g., from DNA, fossils, or anatomy).
9. Some cave-dwelling fish are blind but have small, non-functional eyes. How would
a Darwinian explanation for this differ from a Lamarckian explanation?
10. Why is it incorrect to say that natural selection is a "random" process? What part of
evolution is random, and what part is not?
Answer Key

Section 1: Multiple Choice

1. b) Natural selection
2. c) Competition for limited resources and differential survival/reproduction
3. b) Ability to survive and reproduce in its environment
4. d) Individual organisms can change their traits during their lifetime and pass these
changes on to their offspring. (This is a Lamarckian idea).
5. b) Adaptive radiation
6. b) The flipper of a whale, the arm of a human, and the wing of a bat.
7. b) Artificial selection
8. c) The differences that exist among individuals within a species.
9. a) Evolution by natural selection
10. c) Vestigial structure
11. b) Survive, reproduce, and pass on those traits
12. c) Documenting that life on Earth has changed over time and showing transitional
forms.
13. b) Gradualism
14. b) HMS Beagle
15. b) Common descent
16. d) Mutation
17. b) Have a similar underlying bone structure, inherited from a common ancestor.
18. c) On the Origin of Species
19. b) In a forest, peppered moths with darker coloration are better camouflaged from
predators on soot-covered trees and thus survive to reproduce more often.
20. c) The few surviving insects had a pre-existing genetic resistance, which they
passed on to their offspring.

Section 2: Fill in the Blanks

21. populations
22. adaptation
23. fossils
24. Galápagos
25. resources
26. analogous
27. speciation
28. acquired
29. embryological
30. biodiversity

Section 3: True or False

31. F (Populations evolve over generations, not individuals).
32. T
33. F (It states that humans and modern chimpanzees share a common ancestor).
34. T
35. F (The fossil record is incomplete, with many gaps).
36. F (An adaptation is specific to an environment; it could be neutral or disadvantageous
in another).
37. T
38. F (They are homologous structures; they have a similar underlying bone structure from
a common ancestor but are adapted for different functions).
39. F (Mutations can be harmful, neutral, or beneficial).
40. T

Section 4: Short Answer & Practical Application

1. The four key components are:

o Variation: Individuals within a population vary in their traits.
o Inheritance: These variations are heritable and can be passed from parents
to offspring.
o Overproduction (Struggle for Existence): Organisms produce more
offspring than can survive, leading to competition for limited resources.
o Differential Survival and Reproduction (Natural Selection): Individuals
with traits better suited to their environment are more likely to survive,
reproduce, and pass on those advantageous traits.
2. Homologous structures have a similar underlying anatomy due to shared ancestry,
but may have different functions (e.g., the forelimb of a human, cat, whale, and
bat). Analogous structures have a similar function but evolved independently and
do not share a common ancestral structure (e.g., the wing of an insect and the wing
of a bird).
3. Variation is the raw material for natural selection. If a population is genetically
uniform, a single environmental change (like a new disease, a change in climate, or
a new predator) could wipe out the entire population. Variation ensures that at least
some individuals might have traits that allow them to survive and reproduce under
the new conditions, allowing the species to continue.
4. When an antibiotic is used, it creates a strong selective pressure. Most bacteria in a
population die. However, due to random mutation, a few bacteria may have pre-
existing genes that make them resistant. These resistant bacteria survive and
reproduce, passing the resistance gene to their offspring. Over time, the entire
population becomes resistant to the antibiotic. This is natural selection in action.
5. Darwin's idea of evolution by the gradual accumulation of small changes requires
vast amounts of time to occur. If the Earth were only a few thousand years old, as
was commonly believed, there would not have been enough time for the diversity of
life to evolve through such a slow process. Lyell's concept of an ancient Earth
provided the necessary deep time scale for Darwin's theory to be plausible.
6. You would use artificial selection. You would start with a diverse population of
dogs. From that population, you would select only the smallest individuals with the
longest hair to breed with each other. From their offspring, you would again select
only the smallest, longest-haired individuals to be the parents of the next generation.
By repeating this process over many generations, you would gradually create a new
breed with the desired traits.
7. A vestigial structure is a remnant of a structure that had an important function in
an organism's ancestors but no longer has a clear function in the modern organism.
The human appendix or tailbone (coccyx) are classic examples. Their existence
suggests we descended from ancestors in whom these structures were functional
(e.g., a larger cecum for digesting plant matter or a tail for balance).
8. Common descent is the principle that all life on Earth is related and has descended
from a single common ancestor or ancestral gene pool. Evidence includes:
 o DNA: All living things use DNA and RNA as their genetic material, and the
genetic code is nearly universal, suggesting a shared origin.
o Homologous Structures: The shared bone structure in the forelimbs of
vertebrates (human, cat, whale, bat) points to a common ancestor with that
limb plan.
o Fossil Record: Fossils show a progression of life forms over time and
include transitional fossils that link different groups.
9. The forelimb of a human and the wing of a bat have a similar underlying bone
structure. What term describes such structures, and what do they suggest about the
evolutionary relationship between humans and bats?