Chapter 7 Study Guide
1. Entire insects have been perfectly preserved in
A) tar pits that were once covered with water. B) sedimentary rock after the insects were frozen.
C) casts formed when molds filled with hardened minerals. D) amber formed from the hardened sap of evergreen trees.
2. Which term refers to a species creating more offspring than can possibly survive?
A) natural selection B) overproduction C) evolution D) variation
3. What did Darwin infer from his observations of organisms in South America and the Galapagos Islands?
A) The organisms on the Galapagos Islands were virtually identical to mainland organisms.
B) Different plant and animal species had come to the mainland from the Galapagos.
C) The organisms on the Galapagos Islands were completely unrelated to mainland organisms.
D) Different plant and animal species had come to the Galapagos Islands from the mainland.
4. Differences between members of the same species are called
A) predators. B) selections. C) traits. D) variations.
5. How do most fossils form?
A) An insect becomes trapped in amber. B) An entire organism becomes frozen in ice.
C) A dead organism becomes buried in sediment. D) A dead organism becomes buried in tar.
6. Similar structures that related species have inherited from a common ancestor is called.
A) homozygous structure. B) heterozygous structure. C) homologous structure. D) homogeneous structure
7. Who first proposed the theory of evolution?
A) Newton B) Einstein C) Darwin D) Pascal
8. Which of these is one of the main ways that a new species forms?
A) Cross-breeding occurs within the species. B) A group is separated from the rest of the species.
C) Competition occurs between members of the species. D) Mutations occur in the alleles of members of the species.
9. Evolutionary development can be visually described as a ______?
A) ladder B) Tree C) Mountain D) Triangle
10. Which term refers to a species that no longer has any living members?
A) molded B) fossilized C) extinct D) petrified
11. What theory proposes that evolution occurs steadily in tiny changes over long periods of time?
A) gradualism B) relative dating C) natural selection D) punctuated equilibria
Turn Over
12. Which of the following do scientists NOT use to classify organisms?
A) fossils B) body structures C) the organism’s size D) DNA sequences
13. The Kaibab squirrel is an example of
A) a species that lives only on the Galapagos Islands. B) one of the new species that Darwin discovered.
C) a species that evolved as a result of continental drift. D) the possible formation of a new species.
14. According to the theory of gradualism, why are there few intermediate forms in the fossil record?
A) The species evolved very slowly. B) The fossil record is incomplete.
C) They were removed from the fossil record. D) The species evolved very quickly.
15. According to DNA evidence, the Giant Panda is most closely related to which animal?
A) Raccoon B) Red Panda C) Bear D) Monkey
16. What evidence suggests that the ancestors of whales once walked on land?
A) Scientists have found fossils of whale-like creatures that walked on land. B) Whales breathe through lungs.
C) Type of food that whales eat . D) Whales have similar DNA to elephants.
17. How does natural selection lead to evolution?
A) Stronger offspring kill weaker members of the species.
B) Helpful traits accumulate among surviving members of the species.
C) Overproduction provides food for stronger members of the species.
D) Environmental changes kill weaker members of the species.
18. How do remains become petrified fossils?
A) A sedimentary rock becomes a cast. B) Molds and casts fill with sediment.
C) Minerals replace all or part of an organism. D) Sediment replaces all or part of an organism.
19. Chimpanzees ______humans.
A) are ancestors of B) share a common ancestors with
C) descended from D) are the same species as
20. A species is a group of similar organisms that
A) can mate with each other and produce fertile offspring. B) can live together on an island.
C) can migrate to an island from the mainland. D) all have exactly the same traits.
21. What are fossils?
A) molds and casts of organisms that live today B) drawings of ancient animals and other organisms
C) footprints of small animals that live today D) the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past
22. What is NOT one of the evidence for evolution?
A) fossil record B) Similarities in early development
C) homologous structures D) Similarities in size
23. What theory proposes that species evolve during short periods of rapid change?
A) gradualism B) evolution C) absolute dating D) punctuated equilibria
24. Most of what scientists know about extinct species is based on
A) studying existing species. B) using DNA to re-create extinct species
C) the fossil record. D) Darwin’s observations.