Name __________________________________

Evolution and Natural Selection

TEST REVIEW SHEET
VOCABULARY
evolution
natural variation
natural selection

survival of the fittest

adaptation
extinction

pesticide resistance
antibiotic resistance

I. Evolution Overview
a) Evolution is the change in a ____Population_______ over time, through the process of _______Natural Selection__________.
b) Evidence of Evolution

(1)

Structural Evidence: Similar structures in different organisms provide evidence that different organisms evolved from the same
_______Ancestor________, and have an ______evolutionary__________ relationship.
Molecular Evidence: Similar ____DNA___ and _____Proteins______ provide evidence that different
organisms have an evolutionary relationship.

(3) The Fossil Record: Layers of rock show the progression from ancient, ___Simple________ organisms to more modern,
_____Complex_____ organisms.
Simple, single celled
organisms appear

Multicellular
organisms begin to
appear

The diversity of
multicellular
organisms

c) Evolutionary Trees

The closer the fork in the branch between two organisms, the closer the relationship between these two organisms:

1) Which pairs of species that are NOT extinct have the most similar DNA and proteins? _________F & G, H & I, B & J,
____
2) What species is the most recent common ancestor of F and G? __A____
3) What species was first to become extinct? ___D___
4) What species was best able to adapt to its environment over time? __B__

II. Natural Selection

a) Species evolve through the process of _____________Natural Selection___________, which includes the following concepts:
(1) Natural Variation

Natural variation refers to the fact that _____different________ animals of the same ____species____ have slightly
different ______traits_________, because different individuals have slightly different __DNA_____.

(2) Overproduction

Organisms produce more offspring than can ____survive______. Some individuals will survive, and some will die.

(2) Competition

Organisms within a species will _____compete______ with each other (for food and space) for survival.

(3) Survival of the fittest

The individuals within a species that have _____adaptations_______ that give them an advantage will survive and
______reproduce_______, and pass on these adaptations to their offspring.

Over time, the ____Frequency________ of the adaptation will ____increase______ in the population.

b) A population will evolve faster if:

(1) There is A LOT of _______Natural Variation____________________________ in the population.
(2) If the environment is ____Unstable________, and changes a lot.
c) A species is more likely to become _____extinct_______ if it does not have a lot of natural variation, and its environment is
unstable, and changes a lot, and suddenly. The species will not be able to adapt!
III. Evolution in Action
What types of natural selection can we observe today?
a) Antibiotic ______resistance_______: Bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics over time.
b) ____Pesticide_________ Resistance: Pests develop resistance to pesticide over time.
IV. Darwins Finches
a) Over time, different finches on different islands evolved
different beaks, depending on the type of ___food___ available
on the island.
b) Darwin used his observation of the finches to describe
_________Natural Selection__________.
c) Birds that eat the same type of food will ____compete____
with each other most.

Name __________________________________
Evolution and Natural Selection
UNIT TEST REVIEW
Practice Problems
1. A hawk has a genetic trait that gives it much better eyesight than other hawks of the same species in the same area. Explain how this could lead to
evolutionary change within this species of hawk over a long period of time. In your answer, be sure to include an explanation of:

competition within the hawk population

survival of various individuals within the population
how the frequency of the better-eyesight trait would be expected to change over time within the population
what would most likely happen to the hawks having the better-eyesight trait if they also had unusually weak wing muscles.

____*1 Hawks with better eyesight VS. Hawks with regular eyesight_______________________________________________
____*2 Hawks with better eyesight will survive better ___________________________________________________________
____*3 Increase__________________________________________________________________________________________
____*4 The hawks will die out because they wont be able to fly away from predators___________________________________
Base your answers to questions 2 and 3 on the finch diversity chart below, which contains information concerning the finches found on the Galapagos
Islands.
2. Using information provided in the chart, identify two birds that
would most likely compete for food in times of food shortage and
explain why they would compete.
Large Ground Finch___ and Medium Ground Finch__
___They compete for the same food__________________
3. Identify one trait, other than beak characteristics, that would
contribute to the survival of a finch species and state one way this
trait contributes to the success of this species.
__Better eyesight: the better to see their prey with and have
enough food to survive_______________
____________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________

(4) identical methods of obtaining food

4. Scientists hypothesize that cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, and
radishes developed along a common evolutionary pathway. Which
observation would best support this hypothesis?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

6. Base you answer to question 6 on the chart below and on your

knowledge of biology.

Fossils of these plants were found in the same rock layer

Chloroplasts of these plants produce a gas.
These plants live in the same environment.
These plants have similar proteins.

5. The bones in the forelimbs of three mammals are shown below.

QuickTime and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.

For these mammals, the number, position, and shape of the bones
most likely indicates that they may have
(1) developed in a common environment
(2) developed from the same earlier species
(3) identical genetic makeup

According to most scientists, which sequence best represents the

order of biological evolution on Earth?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

ABC
BCA
B A C
C A B

7. Which factor could be the cause of the other three in an animal

species?
(1) the inability of the species to adapt to changes
(2) a lack of natural variation in the species
(3) extinction of the species

(4) a decrease in the survival rate of the species

8. The diagram below shows the evolution of some different species
of flowers.

Which statement about the species is correct?

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

Species A, B, C, and D came from different ancestors.

Species C evolved from species B.
Species A, B, and C can interbreed successfully.
Species A became extinct.

Base your answers to questions 9 through 11 on the diagram below

and on your knowledge of biology. Letters A through L represent
different species of organisms. The arrows represent long periods of
geologic time.

(4) a long period of environmental stability, when there are no

changes to the environment
14. Thousands of years ago, giraffes with short necks were common
within giraffe populations. Nearly all giraffe populations today have
long necks. This difference could be due to
(1) giraffes stretching their necks to keep their heads out of
reach of predators
(2) giraffes stretching their necks so they could reach food
higher in the trees
(3) natural selection, where giraffes born with longer necks
were able to survive and reproduce best
(4) growth hormones
15. A new chemical was discovered and introduced into a culture
containing one species of bacteria. Within a day, most of the bacteria
were dead, but a few remained alive. Which statement best explains
why some of the bacteria survived?
(1) Due to natural variation, some bacteria had a natural
resistance to the chemical.
(2) They were exposed to the chemical long enough to develop
resistance to it.
(3) They became a different species after exposure to the
chemical.
(4) They absorbed the chemical and broke it down in their
digestive systems.
16. Natural selection and its evolutionary consequences provide a
scientific explanation for each of the following except

9. Which two species are the most closely related?

(1) J and L
(2) G and L

(3) F and H
(4) F and G

10. Which species was best adapted to changes that occurred in its
environment over the longest period of time?
(1) A
(2) B

(3) C
(4) J

11. Which two species would likely show the greatest similarity in
DNA and proteins?
(1) B and J
(2) G and I

(3) J and K
(4) F and L

(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

the fossil record

protein and DNA similarities between different organisms.
similar structures among different organisms
a stable physical environment

17. Which statement describing a cause of extinction includes the

other three?
(1) Members of the extinct species were unable to compete for
food.
(2) Members of the extinct species were unable to conceal their
presence by camouflage.
(3) Members of the extinct species lacked adaptations essential
for survival.
(4) Members of the extinct species were too slow to escape
from predators.
18. The diagram below illustrates the change that occurred in the
physical appearance of a rabbit population over a 10-year period.

12. The teeth of carnivores are pointed and are good for puncturing
and ripping flesh. The teeth of herbivores are flat and are good for
grinding and chewing. Which statement best explains these
observations?
(1) Herbivores have evolved from carnivores.
(2) Carnivores have evolved from herbivores.
(3) The two types of teeth most likely evolved as a result of
natural selection.
(4) The two types of teeth most likely evolved as a result of the
needs of an organism.
13. Which factor is least likely to contribute to an increase in the rate
of evolution?
(1) presence of genetic variations in a population
(2) environmental selection of organisms best adapted to
survive
(3) competition

Which
condition would explain this change over time?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

a decrease in the mutation rate of the rabbits with black fur

a decrease in the advantage of having white fur
an increase in the advantage of having white fur
an increase in the chromosome number of the rabbits with
black fur

19. Scientists compared fossil remains of a species that lived 5,000

years ago with members of the same species living today. Scientists
concluded that this species had changed very little over the entire
time period. Which statement best accounts for this lack of change?
(1) The environment changed significantly and those offspring
without favorable characteristics died.
(2) The environment changed significantly, but the species had
no natural enemies for a long period of time.
(3) The environment did not change significantly and those
offspring expressing new characteristics survived their
natural enemies.
(4) The environment did not change significantly and those
offspring expressing new characteristics did not survive.
20. The theory of biological evolution includes the concept that
(1) species of organisms found on Earth today have adaptations
not always found in earlier species
(2) fossils are the remains of present-day species and were all
formed at the same time
(3) individuals may acquire physical characteristics after birth
and pass these acquired characteristics on to their offspring
(4) the smallest organisms are always eliminated by the larger
organisms within the ecosystem
21. Which factor contributed most to the extinction of many species?
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

changes in the environment

lethal mutations
inability to evolve into simple organisms
changes in migration patterns

24. Which population of organisms would be in greatest danger of

becoming extinct?
(1) A population of organisms having few variations living in a
stable environment.
(2) A population of organisms having few variations living in
an unstable environment.
(3) A population of organisms having many variations living in
a stable environment.
(4) A population of organisms having many variations living in
an unstable environment.
25. The Florida panther, a member of the cat family, has a population
of fewer than 100 individuals and has limited genetic variation.
Which inference based on this information is valid?
(1) These animals will begin to evolve rapidly.
(2) Over time, these animals will become less likely to survive
in a changing environment.
(3) These animals are easily able to adapt to the environment.
(4) Over time, these animals will become more likely to be
resistant to disease.
26. Which statement best illustrates a rapid biological adaptation that
has actually occurred?
(1) Pesticide-resistant insects have developed in certain
environments
(2) Scientific evidence indicates that dinosaurs once lived on
land.
(3) Paving large areas of land has decreased habitats for certain
organisms.
(4) The characteristics of sharks have remained unchanged
over a long period of time

22. In order for new species to develop, there must be a change in the
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

temperature of the environment

migration patterns within a population
natural variation within a population
rate of succession in the environment

23. Which statement is not part of the concept of natural selection?

(1) Individuals that possess the most favorable variations will
have the best chance of reproducing.
(2) Variation occurs among individuals in a population.
(3) More individuals are produced than will survive.
(4) Genes of an individual adapt to a changing environment.

27. The presence of some similar structures in all vertebrates suggests

that these vertebrates
(1) all develop at the same rate
(2) evolved from different animals that appeared on Earth at
the same time
(3) all develop internally and rely on nutrients supplied by the
mother
(4) may have an evolutionary relationship
28. In a group of mushrooms exposed to a poisonous chemical, only a
few of the mushrooms survived. The best explanation for the
resistance of the surviving mushrooms is that the resistance
(1) was transmitted to the mushrooms from the poisonous
chemical
(2) resulted from natural variation in the mushroom population
(3) was transferred though the food web to the mushrooms
(4) developed in response to the poisonous chemical