Topic 7: Evolution
1. The graph below represents the populations of two different species in an ecosystem over a
period of several years.
Which statement is a possible explanation for the changes shown?
(1) Species A is better adapted to this environment.
(2) Species A is the predator of Species B.
(3) Species B is better adapted to this environment.
(4) Species B is a parasite that has benefited species A.
2. In a sexually reproducing species, evolution
could occur as a result of
(1) modification of genes in body cells
4. The diagram below shows the effect of spraying
a pesticide on a population of insects over three
generations.
(2) modification of genes in sex cells
(3) increased reproduction among individuals
with identical chromosomes
(4) recombination of genes in cells
reproducing by mitosis
3. In order for a species to evolve, it must be able
to
(1) consume a large quantity of food
Which concept is represented in the diagram?
(2) reproduce successfully
(1) survival of the fittest
(3) maintain a constant body temperature
(2) dynamic equilibrium
(4) be domesticated
(3) succession
(4) extinction
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Topic 7: Evolution
5. The diagram below represents four different
species of bacteria
7. One possible explanation for the fact that some
simple, one-celled organisms did not evolve
into complex, multicellular organisms is that
(1) energy flow in an ecosystem requires
simple autotrophic organisms
Which statement is correct concerning the
chances of survival for these species if there is
a change in the environment?
(1) Species A has the best chance of survival
because it has the most genetic diversity.
(2) Species C has the best chance of survival
because it has no gene mutations.
(3) Neither species B nor species D will
survive because they compete for the
same resources.
(4) None of the species will survive because
bacteria reproduce asexually.
6. The diagram below illustrates the change that
occurred in the physical appearance of a rabbit
population over a 10-year period.
(2) the reproductive rate of single-celled
organisms is too fast for change to occur
(3) these organisms possessed traits that
enabled them to survive in a changing
environment
(4) stability within an ecosystem requires the
presence of a variety of different species
8. A man lifts weights and develops large arm
muscles. His son has larger muscles than his
father had at the same age. According to
Lamarck's theory, this situation is due to
(1) competition between father and son
(2) survival of the fittest
(3) inheritance of acquired characteristics
(4) mutagenic agents
9. A population of animals is permanently split by
a natural barrier into two separate populations
in different environments. What will likely
result after a long period of time?
(1) The evolution of the two populations will
be identical.
Which condition would explain this change
over time?
(1) a decrease in the mutation rate of the
rabbits with black fur
(2) a decrease in the advantage of having white
fur
(2) The production of variations will stop in
the two populations.
(3) The two populations will evolve into
separate species.
(4) Autotrophic nutrition will replace
heterotrophic nutrition in the two
populations.
(3) an increase in the advantage of having
white fur
(4) an increase in the chromosome number of
the rabbits with black fur
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Topic 7: Evolution
10. Evolution can be viewd in species of bacteria
more easily than in species of mammals
because bacteria have
14. The diagram below shows a comparison of
nitrogen base sequences in the DNA of some
organisms to those of a human.
(1) less competition
(2) more chromosomes
(3) lower mutation rates
(4) higher rates of reproduction
11. When antibiotics were first developed, most
infectious diseases could be controlled by
them. Today, certain bacteria are resistant to
many antibiotics. One possible explanation for
this change is that
(1) the antibiotics killed most of the bacteria
that did not have a genetic variation for
resistance
According to this diagram, humans may be
most closely related to the
(1) ancestral primate
(2) chimpanzee
(3) gorilla
(4) orangutan
(2) the bacteria needed to change in order to
produce more antibiotics
(3) some of the bacteria learned how to
resist the antibiotics
(4) antibiotics have become weaker over the
years
12. The embryos of fish, chickens, and pigs have
gill slits and a tail. The presence of these
features suggests that
(1) all these animals can swim
(2) pigs developed from chickens
(3) these animals may have had a common
ancestor
(4) gill slits and tails are required for
embryonic development
13. Many scientists suggest that billions of years
ago, life on Earth began with
(1) simple, single-celled organisms
(2) simple, multicellular organisms
(3) complex, single-celled organisms
(4) complex, multicellular organisms
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Topic 7: Evolution
Base your answers to questions 15 through 18 on the
diagram below and on your knowledge of biology.
19. Base your answer to the following question on
the diagram below.
Letters A through J represent different species
of organisms. The vertical distances between the
dotted lines represent long periods of time in
which major environmental changes occurred.
15. Which statement best describes species C?
(1) Species A is an ancestor of species C.
(2) Through natural selection, species C
produced increased survival
mechanisms.
(3) Species J is an ancestor of species C.
(4) Species C had insufficient adaptive
characteristics for survival in a changing
environment.
16. Which species appears to have been most
successful in surviving changes in the
environment over the longest time?
(1) A
(2) B
(3) C
(4) H
17. Which species are most closely related?
What do the similarities of the bones labeled A
provide evidence for?
(1) the organisms may have evolved from a
common ancestor
(2) all species have one kind of bone
structure
(3) the cells of the bones contain the same
type of mutations
(4) all structural characteristics are the same
in animals
20. Extinction occurs when the environment
changes and
(1) a species can reproduce successfully
(1) F and G
(2) G and H
(2) an individual has adaptive characteristics
insufficient to allow survival
(3) A and H
(4) E and B
(3) all members of a species are no longer
18. Which species is the most recent common
ancestor of species H and I?
(1) A
(2) G
(3) D
living
(4) one individual produces some offspring
that evolve into a new species
(4) E
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Topic 7: Evolution
21. According to some scientists, what resulted
from the environmental conditions existing on
primitive Earth illustrated below?
22. The diagram below represents the apparatus
used by Stanley Miller to provide
experimental evidence to support the
heterotroph hypothesis.
(1) evolution of the first heterotrophs from
aggregates of organic molecules
(2) development of heterotrophic forms of
life from plants
(3) migration of vertebrates to cooler
portions of Earth
(4) decrease in asexual reproduction in
primitive organisms
n which parts of the setup did he attempt to
duplicate the energy sources of the primitive
Earth?
(1) A and D
(2) B and C
(3) C and A
(4) D and B
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Answer Key
Topic 7- Evolution
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