LAST PERSON STANDING THE EVOLUTION EDITION QUESTION #1 Base your answer to the question on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology. When Charles Darwin traveled to the Galapagos Islands, he observed 14 distinct varieties of finches on the islands. Darwin also observed that each finch variety ate a different type of food and lived in a slightly different habitat from the other finches. Darwin concluded that the finches all shared a common ancestor but had developed different beak structures. 1. The different beak structures mentioned in the last sentence were most likely influenced by selection for favorable variations 2. environmental conditions identical to those of the common ancestor 3. abnormal mitotic cell division 4. characteristics that are acquired during the birds lifetime THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE(1) QUESTION #2 1. Species A is the common ancestor of all life on Earth.
The diagram below illustrates possible evolutionary pathways of some species. Which statement is a valid inference based on the information in the diagram? 1. Species A is the common ancestor of all life on Earth. 2. Species D is more closely related to species E than to species F. 3. Species B is the ancestor of species F. 4. Species C is the ancestor of species that exist at the present time. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (2) QUESTION #3 Base your answer to the question on the diagram below that shows some evolutionary pathways. Each letter represents a different species. If A represents a simple multicellular heterotrophic organism, B would most likely represent 1.a single-celled photosynthetic organism 2.an autotrophic mammal 3.a complex multicellular virus 4.another type of simple multicellular heterotroph THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #4 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. Which species appears to have been most successful in surviving changes in the environment over time? 1. A 2. B 3. C 4. H THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (2) QUESTION #5 In the diagram of undisturbed sedimentary rock strata, in which rock layer are the fossils of more complex animals generally found? 1.layer A 2.layer B 3.layer E 4.layer D THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #6 Which statement is best supported by the theory of evolution? 1. Genetic alterations occur every time cell reproduction occurs. 2. The fossil record provides samples of every organism that ever lived. 3. Populations that have advantageous characteristics will increase in number. 4. Few organisms survive when the environment remains the same. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (3) QUESTION #7 How does natural selection operate to cause change in a population? 1.The members of the population are equally able to survive any environmental change. 2.The members of the population differ so that only some survive when the environment changes. 3.The members of the population do not adapt to environmental changes. 4.All the members of the population adapt to environmental changes. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (2) QUESTION #8 Which statement is most closely related to the modern theory of evolution? 1.Characteristics that are acquired during life are passed to offspring by sexual reproduction. 2.Evolution is the result of mutations and recombination, only. 3.Organisms best adapted to a changed environment are more likely to reproduce and pass their genes to offspring. 4.Asexual reproduction increases the survival of species. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (3) QUESTION #9 .The diagram below represents the relationship between beak structure and food in several species of finches in the Galapagos Islands. Which factor most directly influenced the evolution of the diverse types of beaks of these finches? 1.predation by humans 2.available food sources 3.oceanic storms 4.lack of available niches THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (2) QUESTION #10 Organisms with favorable variations reproduce more successfully than organisms with less favorable variations. This statement best describes the concept of 1.overproduction 2.use and disuse 3.inheritance of acquired characteristics 4.survival of the fittest THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #11 Evolution refers to change over a long period of time in 1.a fossil 2.a population 3.a rock 4.an embryo THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (2) QUESTION #12 Characteristics of a species that make its members better able to live and reproduce in their environment are known as 1.favorable adaptations 2.homologous structures 3.abiotic factors 4.biotic factors THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #13 Which statement is best supported by fossil records? 1.Many organisms that lived in the past are now extinct. 2.Species occupying the same habitat have identical environmental needs. 3.The struggle for existence between organisms results in changes in population. 4.Structures such as leg bones and wing bones can originate from the same type of tissue found in embryos. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #14 The diagram shows an interpretation of relationships based on evolutionary theory. The letters represent different species. The diagram indicates that a common ancestor for species C and E is 1.species F 2.species G 3.species H 4.species K THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #15 The diagrams show the bones in the forelimbs of three different organisms. Differences in the bone arrangements support the hypothesis that these organisms 1.are members of the same species 2.may have descended from the same ancestor 3.have adaptations to survive in different environments 4.all contain the same genetic information THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (3) QUESTION #16 The diagram below shows variations in beak sizes and shapes for several birds on the Galapagos Islands. Galapagos finches evolved partly due to: 1.cloning and recombination 2.migration and selective breeding 3.mutation and asexual reproduction 4.variation and competition THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #17 Thousands of years ago, giraffes with short necks were common within giraffe populations. Nearly all giraffe populations today have long necks. This difference could be due to 1.giraffes stretching their necks to keep their heads out of reach of predators 2.giraffes stretching their necks so they could reach food higher in the trees 3.a mutation in genetic material controlling neck size occurring in some skin cells of a giraffe 4.a mutation in genetic material controlling neck size occurring in the reproductive cells of a giraffe THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #18 A new chemical was discovered and introduced into a culture containing one species of bacteria. Within a day, most of the bacteria were dead, but a few remained alive. Which statement best explains why some of the bacteria survived? 1.They had a genetic variation that gave them resistance to the chemical. 2.They were exposed to the chemical long enough to develop a resistance to it. 3.They mutated and became a different species after exposure to the chemical. 4.They absorbed the chemical and broke it down in their digestive systems. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #19 Which phrase best defines evolution? 1.an adaptation of an organism to its environment 2.a sudden replacement of one community by another 3.a geographic or reproductive isolation of organisms 4.a process of change in organisms over a period of time THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #20 Organisms with favorable variations reproduce more successfully than organisms with less favorable variations. This statement best describes the concept of 1.overproduction 2.use and disuse 3.inheritance of acquired characteristics 4.survival of the fittest THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4) QUESTION #21 Charles Darwin proposed that organisms produce many more offspring that can possibly survive on the limited amount of resources available to them. According to Darwin, the offspring most likely to survive are those that 1.are born first and grow fastest 2.are largest and most aggressive 3.are best adapted to the environment 4.have no natural predators THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (3) QUESTION #22 If the environment were to change dramatically or a new plant disease were to break out, which plant type would most likely survive? 1.wild wheat 2.domestic wheat 3.wild corn 4.domestic corn THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #23 When the antibiotic penicillin was first introduced, it was immediately effective in combating staphylococcus bacterial infections. After a number of years, there were outbreaks of staphylococcal infections that did not respond to treatment with penicillin. The best explanation for this situation is that 1.members of the original population of bacteria that were penicillin resistant survived and reproduced, creating a more resistant population 2.the bacteria that survived exposure to penicillin learned to avoid it 3.the bacteria that caused the new outbreaks were from populations that had never been exposed to penicillin 4.during each generation, the bacteria modified their own DNA to increase their ability to resist penicillin and passed this ability on to their descendants THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (1) QUESTION #24 Which statement about the rates of evolution for different species is in agreement with the theory of evolution? 1.They are identical, since the species live on the same planet. 2.They are identical, since each species is at risk of becoming extinct. 3.They are different, since each species has different adaptations that function within a changing environment. 4.They are different, since each species has access to unlimited resources within its environment. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (3) QUESTION #25 Which concept is not a part of the theory of evolution? 1.Present-day species developed from earlier species. 2.Some species die out when environmental changes occur. 3.Complex organisms develop from simple organisms over time. 4.Change occurs according to the needs of an individual organism to survive. THE ANSWER IS: CHOICE (4)