01
Written response
1 point
What scientific field studies how the geographic distribution of organisms relates to evolutionary relationships and the history of continents, islands, and barriers?
Free Practice Quiz Question List
7 Mechanisms and Evidence of Evolution Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 7 Mechanisms and Evidence of Evolution, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
Fill in the blank
1 point
Fossils in rock layers document extinct organisms and changes through a record.
03
Choose one
1 point
Two species have more similar DNA sequences than either has with a third species. What conclusion is generally supported by this evidence?
- A
They must live in the same habitat.
- B
They generally share a more recent common ancestor.
- C
They must have identical traits in every respect.
- D
One species must have descended from the other modern species.
04
Choose one
1 point
A bacterial population contains some individuals with an inherited variant that provides antibiotic resistance. After the antibiotic is used, which explanation best accounts for resistance becoming more common?
- A
The antibiotic causes each bacterium to deliberately develop resistance.
- B
All bacteria change their inherited traits equally when exposed to the drug.
- C
Bacteria with inherited resistance are more likely to reproduce, so resistance becomes more common.
- D
The bacterial population stops evolving once the antibiotic is introduced.
05
Written response
1 point
What term describes change in the heritable characteristics of a population across generations?
06
Choose all
1 point
Which mechanisms, besides natural selection, can change populations over generations? Select all that apply.
- A
Mutation
- B
Adaptation
- C
Genetic drift
- D
Gene flow
07
Fill in the blank
1 point
When different species descend from ancestral populations they share, their relationship is described as .
08
Choose all
1 point
Which situations could isolate populations and reduce their exchange of genes? Select all that apply.
- A
A new mountain range divides a population.
- B
All individuals continue to mate freely across the population.
- C
Groups occupy different habitats and rarely meet to mate.
- D
Groups have different mating times.
09
Choose one
1 point
A heritable trait is common in a population living in one environment because it improves reproductive success there. Which description best fits the trait?
- A
A trait that an individual consciously acquires whenever conditions change.
- B
An inherited trait that improves reproductive success in a particular environment.
- C
Any trait that is helpful in every possible environment.
- D
A temporary change that cannot be passed to offspring.
10
Choose one
1 point
Human, bat, and whale forelimbs have similar underlying bone arrangements but different functions. What inference is best supported by this comparative anatomy?
- A
The species may have inherited the underlying structure from a common ancestor.
- B
The forelimbs must all serve exactly the same function.
- C
The species must live in the same geographic region.
- D
The shared arrangement proves that one modern species descended from another.
11
Open ended
1 point
A river divides a population into two groups. Over many generations, the groups become genetically different. Explain how this separation could lead to speciation, and identify what would need to develop before they would generally be considered separate species under the biological species concept.
12
True or false
1 point
True or false: Humans descended from modern chimpanzees.
- A
True
- B
False
13
Choose one
1 point
An antibiotic is applied to a bacterial population that includes some bacteria with an inherited resistance variant. Which explanation best describes why resistance may become more common over generations?
- A
The antibiotic causes every bacterium to deliberately develop resistance.
- B
Bacteria with inherited resistance are more likely to reproduce, so resistance becomes more common.
- C
The antibiotic makes bacteria change their genes in a way that guarantees their descendants will be resistant.
- D
Non-resistant bacteria pass resistance to their descendants when exposed to the drug.
14
True or false
1 point
True or false: A population can evolve through mutation, genetic drift, or gene flow even when natural selection is not causing the change.
- A
True
- B
False
15
Choose one
1 point
A population has an inherited trait that improves reproductive success in a cold environment, but the trait is harmful in a hot environment. Which statement best describes the trait?
- A
It is always an adaptation because it improves survival in at least one place.
- B
It is an adaptation only if individuals consciously acquire it during their lives.
- C
It may be an adaptation in the cold environment if it is inherited and became common through evolutionary processes.
- D
It cannot be an adaptation because a trait that helps in one environment must be harmful in every other environment.
16
Written response
1 point
What term names the study of how the geographic distribution of organisms relates to their evolutionary history?
17
Choose one
1 point
Human, bat, and whale forelimbs have similar underlying bone arrangements but different functions. What is the best evolutionary interpretation of this pattern?
- A
They are consistent with inheritance from a common ancestor.
- B
They show that the limbs have always served the same function.
- C
They prove that the animals live in the same environment.
- D
They show that each species independently acquired identical bones during its lifetime.
18
Written response
1 point
What term describes the formation of new species from existing populations?
19
Choose one
1 point
Which conclusion is best supported by fossils found in a time-ordered sequence of rock layers, including forms with combinations of traits?
- A
Fossils show that all organisms appeared at the same time.
- B
Fossils provide direct evidence that individuals deliberately changed during their lifetimes.
- C
Fossils only provide information about organisms that are still alive.
- D
Fossils in rock layers document organisms and changes through time, including forms with combinations of traits that can reveal transitions.
20
True or false
1 point
True or false: A reproductive barrier can act after mating by preventing fertilization or the production of fertile offspring.
- A
True
- B
False