The Evolution of Life - Test Test Answers

Which type of anatomic structure are bird wings and butterfly wings when compared to each other?

What will most likely happen to the population of moths in this habitat?

Which is the most likely cause of the observed variation?

A scientist is trying to determine the relationship between clams, snails, and squid. When she generates a molecular clock, she is surprised to see that clams and squid are more closely related than clams and snails. Which did the molecular clock data show?

Mr. Morales is teaching a lesson on classification. He says that spiders are classified as a different group than insects because they have eight legs instead of six legs. He explains that spiders evolved first. Mr. Morales also says that having eight legs is the derived trait that separates the two groups. Antonio thinks Mr. Morales is wrong. Which piece of information is Antonio considering?

Which best defines a gene pool?

Charles Darwin hypothesized that some individuals would be better equipped for survival than others, and that those that were less equipped would not survive. Darwin formulated this hypothesis based on the work of which scholar?

Which best describes the fossil record?

A biology teacher asks students to give examples of genetic variations that support the idea that changes in a population’s environment affect genetic variation. Which is the least supportive example?

A male cardinal’s red color is an example of a trait affected by natural selection. The females of the species choose mates based on the vibrant colors of the males’ feathers. If females begin using different criteria than feather color when they choose mates, what would most likely happen to the color of the male cardinals over time?

In a cladogram, when does a group of organisms branch off?

Thylacosmilus is a marsupial, and Smilodon is a mammal. Thylacosmilus and Smilodon both have saber teeth, but they do not share an ancestor that had saber teeth. What are saber teeth for these organisms?

Why are the Miller-Urey experiments essential to the theory of evolution?

Scientists notice structural similarities between fossils of a land animal and an aquatic organism. They know the similarities are not a result of the two organisms having to adapt to similar environments. What can they attribute the structural similarities to?

Henry was studying two populations of the same species of lizards. One population lived on an island and the other lived on the mainland. Both populations were affected by a hurricane that hit the island and the mainland with equal force. A year later, Henry was testing the gene frequency and saw a decrease in genetic variation in the island species, but not in the mainland species. Which best describes a conclusion he might have reached?

Which type of anatomic structure are wisdom teeth?

Which point is flawed as written?

Which describes the effect of this environmental change?

A fossilized fish is found that has jaws but no true bones. Where does this fossil belong on the cladogram?

Which is the most likely explanation for the change?

Which species is most closely related to the moth species (Species Z)?

Which term best describes the difference in colors of the birds?

Which of Charles Darwin’s main points is depicted in the image?

Josiah says this is a phylogenetic tree of the dinosaurs. Maleek says it is a cladogram of the dinosaurs. Who is correct?