Darwin's Theory Answers

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Consider this image of a gazelle.Which of the gazelle’s naturally selected traits is shown in this picture to be an evolutionary advantage?

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A
feeding only at certain times of the day
B
coat color for blending in with dry grass
C
specialized gut due to a diet of grasses
D
specific gender roles to diminish predation
3

In the African savanna, more wildebeests are born than the environment can support. Which is most likely to happen over a period of years as a result?

A
The chances for survival of the population are reduced.
B
New food sources are discovered and become the regular diet.
C
Individuals that are well suited to the environment reproduce, and those that are not well suited die before they reproduce.
D
The environment adapts by providing more resources to the growing population, increasing the chances of survival for individuals within the habitat.
4

Charles Darwin observed a unique beak size and shape in the finch population of each of the Galapagos Islands that he visited. Which is the most likely cause of the observed variation?

Question illustration
A
differences in the climate among the islands
B
competition among individuals for available food sources
C
competition among individuals for desirable mates
D
differences in egg size among the populations
5

What is natural selection?

A
a process that selects variations that help with survival and that spreads the variations to more offspring
B
a process through which nature selects an individual within a population for extinction
C
a process that causes all populations to gradually increase in size
D
a process that causes random variations to appear in the offspring of every generation
6

Scientific investigations often lead to the formulation of new scientific questions. Charles Darwin reviewed his observations after he returned home from his voyage studying the selective breeding of pigeons. Which question would he be prompted to ask based on his voyage?

A
Do living things change over time, and if so, how?
B
Are the Galapagos finches and those on the mainland the same species?
C
Are pigeons related to the Galapagos finches?
D
Can selection in nature also lead to a new species over time?
7

Which best describes the relationship between evolution and natural selection?

A
Natural selection leads to evolution.
B
Evolution leads to natural selection.
C
Natural selection is the same as evolution.
D
Evolution and natural selection are not related.
9

Which organism exhibits behavioral adaptation?

A
an owl with large pupils and eyes that enable it to see better at night
B
a possum playing dead to increase its chances of survival
C
an insect that mimics its environment to hide from its predators
D
a desert plant that sheds its leaves to lessen water loss during the dry season
10

A population of rabbits has individuals with fur coloring that ranges from white to brown. The population lives in a temperate deciduous forest where the summers are mild and average about 50°F. The winters are often below freezing. If warmer temperatures last longer into the fall and the average temperature in the winter is getting warmer, what do you expect to happen to the population?

A
The percentage of the population with brown fur will decrease.
B
The percentage of the population with white fur will decrease.
C
The population will increase in size, but the color percentages will remain unchanged.
D
The population will decrease in size, but the color percentages will remain unchanged.

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