CH 16 Darwin's Theory of Evolution Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. 1. Darwin noticed that many organisms seemed well suited to A. being preserved as fossils. B. providing humans with food. C. surviving in the environments in which they lived. D. swimming from South America to the Galápagos Islands. 2. The species of finches that Charles Darwin found on different Galápagos Islands varied in certain structural adaptations. One of the most significant adaptations that Darwin noted was the A. similarities of the birds embryos. B. birds different-shaped beaks. C. length of the birds necks. D. number of eggs in each bird s nest. 3. Biologists in Darwin s time had already begun to understand that living things change over time. How did Darwin contribute to these ideas? A. He found many fossils that showed that these changes could not possibly happen on islands. B. He figured out and explained how these changes happened and supported his ideas with evidence. C. He made guesses about how these changes happened, and wrote experiments that could be used to test these guesses. D. He was the first person to truly believe that these changes happened, and he worked very hard to convince others. 4. Charles Darwin s observation that finches of different species on the Galápagos Islands have many similar physical characteristics supports the hypothesis that these finches A. have the ability to interbreed. B. acquired traits through use and disuse. C. all eat the same type of food. D. descended from a common ancestor. 5. On the Galápagos Islands, Charles Darwin observed A. completely unrelated species on each of the islands. B. species exactly like those found in South America. C. species similar to mainland South American species. D. species completely unrelated to those found in South America. 6. Which of the following ideas is supported by Darwin s observation of local variation among tortoises in the Galápagos Islands? A. artificial selection B. adaptation C. acquired characteristics D. tendency towards perfection 7. Darwin first began to formulate his concept of evolution by natural selection after A. experimenting with animals. B. observing patterns among the geographical location of certain species.
C. reading the writings of Wallace. D. agreeing with Lamarck about the driving force behind evolution. 8. The economist Thomas Malthus suggested that A. in the human population, people die faster than babies are born. B. without certain checks on population size, there would soon be insufficient food for the growing human population. C. in the 1700s, England needed more housing. D. the majority of a species offspring die. 9. When farmers select animals or plants to use for breeding, they look for A. species that are perfect and unchanging. B. homologous structures. C. characteristics acquired during the lifetime of the organism. D. natural variations that are present in a species. 10. According to Darwin s theory of natural selection, individuals who survive are the ones best adapted for their environment. Their survival is due to the A. possession of adaptations developed through use. B. possession of inherited adaptations that maximize fitness. C. lack of competition within the species. D. choices made by plant and animal breeders. 11. Each of the following is a condition necessary for natural selection to occur EXCEPT A. more offspring are born than can survive. B. population size is very large. C. fitness varies among individuals. D. there is heritable variation among members of the population. 12. Which statement about the members of a population that live long enough to reproduce is consistent with the theory of evolution by natural selection? A. They transmit characteristics acquired by use and disuse to their offspring. B. They tend to produce fewer offspring than others in the population. C. They are the ones that are best adapted to survive in their environment. D. They will perpetuate unfavorable changes in the species. 13. Which of the following phrases best describes the results of natural selection? A. the natural variation found in all populations B. unrelated species living in different locations C. changes in the inherited characteristics of a population over time D. the struggle for existence undergone by all living things 14. The principle of common descent helps explain why A. well-adapted species have many offspring. B. conditions in an organism s environment ensures the organism s survival. C. birds and reptiles share a number of inherited characteristics. D. tigers are so different from cheetahs. 15. Biogeography is the study of A. where species and their ancestors live. B. how extinct species can be related to living species. C. how different species can interbreed. D. how animals that live in the same area are closely related.
16. The number and location of bones of many fossil vertebrates are similar to those in living vertebrates. This is evidence in support of which of the following concepts? A. Lamarck s tendency towards perfection B. common descent C. analogous structures D. the inheritance of acquired traits 17. Charles Darwin viewed the fossil record as A. evidence that Earth was thousands of years old. B. useful support for his theory. C. interesting but unrelated to the evolution of modern species. D. evidence that traits are acquired through use or disuse. Figure 16 1 18. In humans, the pelvis and femur, or thigh bone, are involved in walking. In whales, the pelvis and femur shown in Figure 16 1 are A. examples of fossils. B. vestigial structures. C. acquired traits. D. examples of natural variation. 19. Molecular evidence in support of natural selection includes A. the nearly universal genetic code. B. the presence of vestigial structures. C. a tendency toward perfect, unchanging DNA in various species. D. the transmission of acquired characteristics by DNA. 20. Similar patterns of embryological development in different but related organisms are responsible for the formation of A. homologous structures. B. analogous structures. C. Hox genes. D. intermediate fossil forms. 21. According to the Grants investigation of Galápagos finches, what happened to the beaks of finches? A. Beaks became larger through artificial selection. B. Beaks became smaller when they migrated.
C. Beaks became smaller during the finches lifespan. D. Beaks became larger over many generations. Other Figure 16 2 22. Interpret Visuals What adaptation is apparent in the bodies of the three tortoise species shown in Figure 16 2? 23. Infer Vegetation on Hood Island is sparse and sometimes hard to reach. How might the vegetation have affected the evolution of the Hood Island tortoise shown in Figure 16 2?
Figure 16 4 24. Infer Scientists have never seen the ancient horses shown in Figure 16 4. What do you think was the main type of evidence scientists used to prepare these diagrams? Essay Figure 16 5 25. How is the idea of common descent supported by examples of homologous structures as shown in Figure 16 5?