1. Biological Change Over Time Accounts for the Diversity of Species. This Diversity

1. Biological change over time accounts for the diversity of species. This diversity

/ A. / develops through gradual processes over many generations.
/ B. / occurs in the animal kingdom but not in the plant kingdom.
/ C. / occurs in the plant kingdom but not in the animal kingdom.
/ D. / develops only through sudden change over a single generation.

2. White Sands National Monument in New Mexico gets its name from the extremely white sand that covers much of the ground.

Image from the National Parks Service

The eastern fence lizard is usually brown in color. What would living in White Sands National Monument for a few generations change about a population of eastern fence lizards?

/ A. / The entire population would become white.
/ B. / The average color of the population would not change.
/ C. / The average color of the population would become paler.
/ D. / The entire population would be able to run faster.

Dr. Shields is a scientist at the local botanical gardens. Recently, she completed an investigation involving a specific type of flowering plant. Part of her investigation involved measuring features of the plants over 100 successive generations.
The table below summarizes Dr. Shields' measurements. Examine the measurements, and be sure to note that the table shows data only for the first and every tenth generation.

Generation / Average Stem
Length (cm) / Average Leaf
Width (cm) / Average Flower
Diameter (cm)
1 / 14.2 / 4.1 / 5.6
10 / 14.4 / 4.1 / 5.6
20 / 15.8 / 4.1 / 5.6
30 / 17.1 / 3.7 / 5.5
40 / 18.9 / 3.1 / 5.6
50 / 20.3 / 2.7 / 5.6
60 / 20.3 / 2.3 / 6.1
70 / 20.3 / 2.2 / 6.8
80 / 20.2 / 2.3 / 7.6
90 / 20.3 / 2.3 / 7.9
100 / 20.3 / 2.3 / 8.2

Based on the table above, Generation 100 is very different from Generation 1. The difference in stem length can best be explained by

/ A. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 1 through 100.
/ B. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 70 through 80.
/ C. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 50 through 100.
/ D. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 1 through 50.

4. By comparing fossils from different layers of sediment, scientists are able to determine which of the following?

I. / the appearance of organisms in the past
II. / how species have diversified over time
III. / exactly how many organisms were alive at different times
/ A. / I only
/ B. / I and III only
/ C. / II and III only
/ D. / I and II only

5. Populations with______are more likely to survive in different environments.

/ A. / much genetic diversity
/ B. / little genetic diversity
/ C. / large populations
/ D. / more females than males

Based on the table above, Generation 100 is very different from Generation 1. The difference in flower diameter can best be explained by

/ A. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 1 through 100.
/ B. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 1 through 50.
/ C. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 20 through 30.
/ D. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 50 through 100.

7. Trees need water so they can make their own food. Trees take in water using their roots.

If a drought occurred reducing the amount of available water, some trees, such as those with deep roots that can reach the water table, would be naturally selected over other trees. If the drought continued for an extended period of time, the trees would likely evolve until most of the trees possessed drought-resistant characteristics.
Which of the following allows natural selection and evolution to occur?

/ A. / using other plant parts instead of roots to absorb water
/ B. / increasing the height of the water table
/ C. / differences in the characteristics of individual trees
/ D. / having an identical genetic make-up

8.Suppose that two ancient types of plants, one that grows in the winter and one that grows in the summer, appear together in the fossil record for two periods in the geologic time scale. In the fossil records from a third period in the geologic time scale, one of the plants is suddenly missing. Which of the following would best explain why one type of plant disappeared but the other did not?

/ A. / pollution
/ B. / volcanic eruption
/ C. / climate change
/ D. / hunting

9. How do scientists know that extinction has been a common event throughout Earth's history?

/ A. / There are no fossils of birds found in the fossil record.
/ B. / Evidence from the fossil record shows that many species have become extinct at various times.
/ C. / Since humans have caused extinctions in modern times, extinction must have been common in the past.
/ D. / There are no fossils of humans found in the fossil record.

10.Suppose a population of rabbits is introduced to an environment that has hot summers and extremely cold winters. Every winter, many rabbits die because of the cold and the lack of food. The rabbits have a range of ear sizes.

Small Ears / Medium Ears / Large Ears

Rabbits lose a lot of their body heat through their ears. Every winter, more of the long-eared rabbits die than the others. Every summer, more of the short-eared rabbits die than the others.
At first, there are an equal number of rabbits with each size of ears. After several years, what will the frequency of ear sizes in the population be like?

/ A. / There will be fewer rabbits with medium ears than any others.
/ B. / There will be fewer rabbits with large ears than any of the others.
/ C. / There will be more rabbits with large ears than any others.
/ D. / There will be an equal number of rabbits with each ear size.

11.Black squirrels are the same species as gray squirrels. A single litter of squirrels can have both black and gray squirrels.

Over the past century, the percent of squirrels in the vicinity of Washington, DC, that are black instead of the more common gray has been continually increasing. Which of the following statements best explains why this is happening?

/ A. / Black squirrels are more popular with tourists than gray squirrels.
/ B. / Gray squirrels are more comfortable with humans than black squirrels.
/ C. / Black squirrels are more visible against tree trunks than gray squirrels.
/ D. / Black squirrels have a survival advantage over gray squirrels.

12. Organisms with advantageous adaptations are more likely to survive and reproduce than organisms without the advantageous adaptations. This phenomena is known as natural selection.
In order for natural selection to occur

/ A. / all of the organisms within a population must be exactly the same.
/ B. / there must be more male organisms than female organisms.
/ C. / one population must become extinct so another can be created.
/ D. / organisms within a population must have some genetic variation.

13. Hunter found some termites in a wooden board sitting in his backyard, so he sprayed some insecticide on the board to kill the termites. Hunter noticed that about 95% of the termites died, but 5% survived. What is the most likely explanation for this?

/ A. / The living termites were a different species than the dead termites.
/ B. / The living termites had genes that the dead termites did not have.
/ C. / The living termites knew that Hunter was going to spray the insecticide, so they camouflaged themselves.
/ D. / The living termites were males and the dead termites were females.

14. Within a species of short, ground-dwelling animals, two parents produced a group of offspring that were 1cm taller than they were. These offspring were able to reach slightly higher vegetation than their parents and other members of the species. When the offspring grew up, they produced new offspring who were also slightly taller and could also reach the higher vegetation. This process continued over several generations such that offspring became gradually taller with time.
Eventually, after many generations, all members of the species were at least 20cm taller than the original two parents that produced the slightly taller offspring. What does this illustrate?

/ A. / Only major differences between parents and offspring can result in future generations that are very different from their ancestors.
/ B. / Ground-dwelling animals would survive better if they evolve to be shorter.
/ C. / Biological change does not apply to ground-dwelling animals.
/ D. / Slight differences between parents and offspring can eventually result in future generations that are very different from their ancestors.

15.The climate and features of the Earth are always changing. Some populations have been able to survive by adapting to the changes. Which characteristic of a population is most vital for allowing adaptation?

/ A. / population size
/ B. / energy requirements
/ C. / genetic variation
/ D. / immunity to disease

16. Which of the following best describes how a species changes over time?

/ A. / Members of a species that are best adapted to survive and members with unfavorable traits both produce the same number of offspring.
/ B. / Members of a species with unfavorable traits produce offspring with similar characteristics, while members best adapted to survive do not reproduce.
/ C. / Members of a species that are best adapted to survive produce offspring with similar characteristics, while members with unfavorable traits do not survive.
/ D. / Diversity among members of the species causes all members to stop producing offspring.

17.

Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3 Generation 4

The diagram above represents an evolutionary path for a population of organisms. Each successive generation is indicated by number, with the oldest generation being Generation1 and the youngest generations being Generation4.
Which of the following pairs of generations likely have the fewest genetic differences between them?

/ A. / Generations 2 and 3
/ B. / Generations 2 and 4
/ C. / Generations 1 and 4
/ D. / Generations 1 and 3

18. Suppose a small island is home to two troops of monkeys. Every year, a certain fraction of each troop of monkeys are killed by predators. Every summer, each surviving pair of monkeys has one child. In this simplified model, the monkey population would look something like this:

Troop #1: / Troop #2:
Year / Season / Number of
Monkeys
1 / Spring / 7
Summer / 10
2 / Spring / 8
Summer / 12
3 / Spring / 9
Summer / 13
4 / Spring / 10
Summer / 15
/ Year / Season / Number of
Monkeys
1 / Spring / 7
Summer / 10
2 / Spring / 9
Summer / 13
3 / Spring / 11
Summer / 16
4 / Spring / 14
Summer / 21

The first troop spends more time on the ground. The second troop spends more time in the trees.
Compare the sizes of the two monkey troops through time. Which of the following statements about the monkey troops is true?

/ A. / Since members of the second troop were better able to reproduce, more of them were able to avoid predators.
/ B. / Since members of the first troop were better able to reproduce, more of them were able to avoid predators.
/ C. / Since members of the first troop were better able to avoid predators, more of them were able to reproduce.
/ D. / Since members of the second troop were better able to avoid predators, more of them were able to reproduce.

19.

Based on the table above, Generation 100 is very different from Generation 1. The difference in leaf width can best be explained by

/ A. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 1 through 100.
/ B. / major genetic changes that occurred over Generations 70 through 80.
/ C. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 20 through 60.
/ D. / minor genetic changes that occurred over Generations 50 through 100.

20. About 530 million years ago, an evolutionary period known as the "Cambrian explosion" took place. Large numbers of new animal species appear in the fossil record that corresponds with this time.

This image is courtesy of Wikipedia

Based on patterns of extinctions documented in the fossil record, about how many of these Cambrian species are probably still surviving today?

/ A. / a very small number of them
/ B. / none of them
/ C. / most of them
/ D. / all of them

21. A species of bird lives in a tropical ecosystem and survives by eating fruit. The climate of this location changes very quickly, and the ecosystem becomes too cold for fruit trees to survive.
If the bird species cannot adapt to eat a different source of food, this species of bird will most likely

/ A. / increase in number.
/ B. / become extinct.
/ C. / not be affected.
/ D. / become dormant.

22. Peppered moths come in two color variations, as shown below.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, the majority of the population in England consisted of the light colored variation. The dark colored moth became the dominant variation by the end of the 20th century and remained so for almost 100 years. Today, the light colored variation is dominant again.

What is the best explanation for this?

/ A. / Populations with two variations have a better chance of survival than populations with more.
/ B. / One variation will always be harmful, and the other will always be beneficial.
/ C. / A single variation can be beneficial in all conditions or harmful in all conditions.
/ D. / A single variation can be beneficial under some conditions and harmful under other conditions.

23. A bird species that lives in only one swamp has a beak designed only for cracking snail shells. The birds depend on the snails for food.
What will most likely happen to the bird species if the swamp suddenly dries up, killing off the snails?

/ A. / The bird will become extinct because it is not adapted to eat other food.
/ B. / The bird species will quickly evolve and adapt to have a new kind of beak.
/ C. / The bird species will immediately adapt by catching insects to eat.
/ D. / The bird species will immediately adapt to eating berries.

24. The food available for finches to eat in the Galapagos Isles depends on the weather. During wet years, there is a large variety of food. During dry years, there is less food, and large, tough seeds are more abundant than small seeds. The Medium Ground Finch lives in the Galapagos Isles and eats seeds.
Certain differences were noticed in the Medium Ground Finches living after a long drought from those who lived before the drought. What was different about the finches after the drought?

/ A. / They had larger beaks.
/ B. / They were a new species.
/ C. / They had larger wings.
/ D. / They had smaller wings.

25. What information do fossils provide about plants and animals?

/ A. / Animals and plants have not developed together.
/ B. / Animals and plants have changed over time.
/ C. / Animals and plants have not changed over time.
/ D. / Animals and plants have changed only recently.

26. A population of Purple Gorillas feeds entirely on plants. But some of these Gorillas are good at digesting Plant A, while others are good at digesting Plant B. Still other Purple Gorillas are good at digesting Plant C.

What might be an advantage of a single population of animals, such as the Purple Gorilla, having a very large amount of variability surrounding certain traits?

/ A. / It makes it less likely that the population will split into different species, when selective pressures are increased.
/ B. / It makes it more difficult for poachers to hunt them.
/ C. / It increases the chance that some members of the population will survive under changing environmental conditions.
/ D. / There is no evolutionary advantage to this situation.

27. If a species is extinct

/ A. / only a few members of the species are alive today.
/ B. / no members of the species are alive today.
/ C. / the species is young and has several living members.
/ D. / the species is old and has several living members.

28. What will most likely happen if sudden changes in an environment occur and no individuals of a population are able to adapt to the changes?

/ A. / The population will change its method of reproduction to discourage diversity.
/ B. / The population will interbreed with other species with beneficial adaptations.
/ C. / The population will increase in size.
/ D. / The population will become extinct.

29. Which of the following is true?

/ A. / About half of the species that have ever existed still exist today.
/ B. / All the species that have ever existed still exist today.
/ C. / Most of the species that have ever existed are extinct today.
/ D. / Most of the species that have ever existed still exist today.

30. If the environment changes quickly and no individual members of a species are able to survive in the new environment, then the species will

/ A. / become extinct.
/ B. / begin mating with other species.
/ C. / not be affected.
/ D. / turn into a different species.

Answers

1. A
2. C
3.D
4.D
5.A
6.D
7.C
8.C
9.B
10.B
11.D
12.D
13.B
14.D
15.C
16.C
17.A
18. D
19.C
20.A
21.B
22.D
23.A
24.A
25.B
26.C
27.B
28.D
29.C
30. A