Standardized Test Prep

Multiple Choice

1. Which scientist formulated the theory of evolution through natural selection?

   1. Charles Darwin

   2. Thomas Malthus

   3. James Hutton

   4. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

2. Lamarck's ideas about evolution were wrong because he proposed that

   1. species change over time.

   2. species descended from other species.

   3. acquired characteristics can be inherited.

   4. species are adapted to their environments.

3. Lyell's Principles of Geology influenced Darwin because it explained how

   1. organisms change over time.

   2. adaptations occur.

   3. the surface of Earth changes over time.

   4. the Galápagos Islands formed.

4. A farmer's use of the best livestock for breeding is an example of

   1. natural selection.

   2. artificial selection.

   3. extinction.

   4. adaptation.

5. The ability of an individual organism to survive and reproduce in its natural environment is called

   1. natural selection.

   2. evolution.

   3. descent with modification.

   4. fitness.

6. Which of the following is an important concept in Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?

   1. descent with modification

   2. homologous molecules

   3. processes that change the surface of Earth

   4. the tendency toward perfection

7. Which of the following does NOT provide evidence for evolution?

   1. fossil record

   2. natural variation within a species

   3. geographical distribution of living things

   4. homologous structures of living organisms

8. DNA and RNA provide evidence of evolution because

   1. all organisms have nearly identical DNA and RNA.

   2. no two organisms have exactly the same DNA.

   3. each RNA codon specifies just one amino acid.

   4. in most organisms, the same codons specify the same amino acids.

9. A bird's wings are homologous to a(n)

   1. fish's tailfin.

   2. alligator's claws.

   3. dog's front legs.

   4. mosquito's wings.

Questions 10 and 11

The birds shown below are 2 of the species of finches Darwin found on the Galápagos Islands.

10. What process produced the two different types of beaks shown?

    • artificial selection

    • natural selection

    • geographical distribution

    • disuse of the beak

11. The large ground finch obtains food by cracking seeds. Its short, strong beak is an example of

    • the struggle for existence.

    • the tendency toward perfection.

    • an adaptation.

    • a vestigial organ.

Open-Ended Response

12. Compare and contrast the processes of artificial selection and natural selection.

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