Grade 7 Unit 4 - Evidence for Evolution » Form A (Master Copy)
Directions: Please choose the best answer choice for each of the following questions.
1.
3.
The wings of a bat, flippers of a dolphin, and legs of
an alligator have similar structures. This evidence
supports the theory of evolution because it indicates
that A.
mammals all evolved in the same way.
B.
animals evolved to fly, swim, and run.
C. some animals are related to birds.
D. these animals share a common ancestor.
A.
1,600
Before the Industrial Revolution in England, most
peppered moths were gray and blended in with
the light-colored tree trunks. During the Industrial
Revolution, the tree trunks turned dark with pollution,
and there were mostly black moths. Which of these
BEST explains why there were mostly black moths in
the polluted area?
B.
1,800
A.
Predators preferred to eat black moths.
C. 2,100
B.
Female moths preferred to mate with gray males.
D. 2,600
C.
The gray moths were smaller than the black
moths.
4.
The graph displays the population changes over time
for a small island. If this trend continues, what will be
the island’s approximate population in the ninth year?
2.
Some geological events that occurred in what is now
the eastern part of the Mojave Desert are shown in the
timeline below.
D. The black moths were harder for predators to find.
5.
Based on this timeline, when was the Pacific Ocean
basin created?
A.
around 144 million years ago
B.
around 320 million years ago
Charles Darwin studied finches on the Galápagos
Islands. The finches on each island had slightly
different-shaped beaks. Darwin concluded that natural
selection led to the evolution of different beak shapes
in finches. According to Darwin, which of the following
MOST LIKELY happened?
A.
The finches changed their beak shapes to eat the
available types of food.
B.
The different food types on each island caused
each individual finch's beak to change shape.
Finches were born only on islands where their
C. beaks were better shaped to eat the available
types of food.
Finches with beaks better shaped to eat the
D. available types of food survived and reproduced
most often.
C. around 438 million years ago
D. around 570 million years ago
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© 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Grade 7 Unit 4 - Evidence for Evolution » Form A (Master Copy)
6.
The pipevine swallowtail is foul tasting to many of
its predators, but the red-spotted purple is not foul
tasting. Over time, the red-spotted purples that most
closely resembled the pipevine swallowtail survived in
greater numbers because their predators thought they
were also foul tasting.
8.
While a student was visiting the desert, she noticed
the tan color of many of its animals. Which of these
explains why many desert animals are a similar tan
color?
A.
Most of the animals that originally arrived in the
desert were tan.
B.
The food available in the desert causes the color
of animals to become tan.
The desert environment allows tan animals to
C. survive and reproduce at higher rates than other
animals.
Tan animals can survive on less water than other
D. animals so they are more likely to choose to stay
in the desert.
The survival of certain red-spotted purple butterflies
and not others is an example of
7.
A.
camouflage.
B.
metamorphosis.
9.
Before natural selection can occur, there must be
____________________ within a population
C. natural selection.
A.
dominant traits
D. species diversity.
B.
an abundant food supply
Of the birds shown below, which is MOST LIKELY
to be the most successful at getting food in an
environment where the food is mostly nectar from
flowers?
C. environmental factors
D. genetic variation
10.
A.
In a desert environment, there are two members of the
same species of lizard. Lizard A can hold more water
in its body than lizard B. Natural selection favors lizard
A, because it is better adapted and thus more likely to
A.
eat more than lizard B.
B.
reproduce more than lizard B.
C. drink less water than lizard B.
B.
D. avoid more predators than lizard B.
11.
C.
According to Darwin's reasoning, individuals who are
NOT well- adapted to the environment will have
A.
more genetic variability
B.
more disease resistance
C. fewer surviving offspring
D. more surviving offspring
12.
D.
What is most likely the cause of the great variety of
plants and animals that have lived on Earth throughout
Earth's history?
A.
fossil record
B.
life expectancy
C. natural selection
D. selection breeding
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© 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Grade 7 Unit 4 - Evidence for Evolution » Form A (Master Copy)
13.
Over 100 years the weather gets colder. There is more
snow, and more white rabbits. This is an example of
A.
dominant genes helping an organism survive
B.
the environment causing diversity of organisms
C.
the rabbits changing their fur color to match the
white snow
16.
Mary was researching the most abundant organisms
present in the fossil record over time. She created the
table below using the information she gathered.
D. temperature changing mating patterns of rabbits
14.
According to Darwin's theory of natural selection, if an
individual is better suited to its environment then that
individual
A.
is guranteed to live a long life.
B.
is more likely to reproduce.
C. has a lower chance of survival.
D. is unaffected by environmental factors.
15.
Which of the following played a major role in Darwin’s
reasoning of this theory of natural selection?
A.
Variation in a species leads to some organisms
having an advantage over others.
B.
Certain animals want to change more than other
animals, so they do.
Which of these can be BEST concluded from this
table?
C. Offspring are identical to their parents.
A.
Fish species have evolved from birds over time.
D. Life remains unchanged on Earth.
B.
Reptiles became extinct at the end of the
Paleozoic era.
C.
The species of plants and animals in existence
have changed over time.
D.
The same plants and animals have existed since
the beginning of Earth’s history.
17.
Evidence from fossils and radioactive dating indicate
that there has been life on earth for about A.
30 billion years.
B.
3 billion years.
C. 3 million years.
D. 300,000 years.
18.
How does fossil evidence BEST support the theory of
evolution?
A.
Fossils show the order in which changes in
organisms took place.
B.
Fossils show that organisms have existed on earth
for billions of years.
C. Fossils show remains of now extinct organisms.
D.
Fossils show how climates and landforms have
changed.
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© 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Grade 7 Unit 4 - Evidence for Evolution » Form A (Master Copy)
19.
The image shows the fossils of prehistoric amphibians.
21.
plate tectonics
B.
relativity
22.
D. evolution
A scientist is examining the dinosaur fossil and pigeon
skeleton shown below.
Based on the structure of the fossil and skeleton, what
can the scientist MOST LIKELY conclude?
A.
Dinosaurs and birds are about the same size.
B.
Dinosaurs and birds have similar eating habits.
C. Birds once lived in the same place as dinosaurs.
D.
Sedimentary rocks are made only from fossilized
remains, so they naturally contain many fossils.
B.
Sedimentary rock does not form under extreme
heat and pressure, so fossils contained in the rock
are not destroyed.
Sedimentary rock forms only in places where
D. there are many plants and animals, which leave
behind fossilized remains.
C. the Big Bang
20.
A.
Sedimentary rocks contain many holes, providing
C. homes for animals that will eventually die and
leave behind skeletons.
Fossils provide information to best support which
theory?
A.
Sedimentary rocks are the most common rocks
containing fossil remains. Why do sedimentary rocks
act as such a good keeper of fossil records?
Birds may be the descendants of certain
dinosaurs.
The diagram below shows the bone structure for
different animals.
Which of these statements has been supported by
scientists comparing these bone structures?
A.
These animals are related through a common
ancestor but have become different through
evolution.
B.
These animals do not share a common ancestor
but have become similar through evolution.
C.
The ages of fossils cannot be accurately
determined by studying radioactive elements.
D.
The fossil record does not contain reliable
information about animal evolution.
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© 2011 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Grade 7 Unit 4 - Evidence for Evolution » Form A (Master Copy)
23.
24.
A fossil is found of a species of shark that is
estimated to be 200 million years old. This fossil looks
very different from any living shark species. What is
the BEST conclusion that can be drawn from this
information?
A.
That fossil of the shark is not accurate, and sharks
have not changed very much.
B.
Over the last 200 million years, different kinds of
fish have evolved to become sharks.
C.
Over the last 200 million years, the environment
has changed, so the shark has adapted.
D.
That species of shark bred with another species,
forming a hybrid shark that exists today.
In parts of the United States, there is a hare whose fur
changes during the year. Sometimes its fur is thin and
grayish-brown. Other times, it has a thicker coat of
white fur.
•
Based on the physical traits mentioned,
describe what winter is probably like where
the hare lives.
•
Describe an advantage of having the coat of
white fur.
•
Describe an advantage of having the thin,
grayish-brown fur.
Use words, numbers, and/or pictures to show your
work. Enter your answer in the space provided.
25.
The brown-headed cowbird is an example of a brood
parasite. Brood parasites are birds that lay their eggs
in the nests of other birds.
•
Describe two advantages the brownheaded cowbird may get by engaging in this
behavior.
•
How might this behavior hurt the host bird?
Use words, numbers, and/or pictures to show your
work. Enter your answer in the space provided.
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