Introduction to Evolution Quiz
Question 1
Select one answer.
10 points
Below are some examples of changes that occur in life. Which one is an example of biological evolution?
A. A cell starts to express a different set of genes when it is exposed to high levels of testosterone.
B. Your taste in music changes dramatically between middle school and high school.
C. A young man’s muscles increase in strength and bulk after he starts lifting weights.
D. In New York City, the average wing length of pigeons decreases over a period of 150 years.
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Question 2
Select one answer.
10 points
Natural selection results in…
A. Mutations in the genetic makeup of a population
B. All of these
C. Environment stresses on a population
D. Increase in adaptive traits over time
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Question 3
Select all that apply.
10 points
Which of the following ideas would fit within the theory of evolution as proposed by Charles Darwin and as accepted today?
More than one option is correct; select only those options that qualify as modern scientific views of evolution.
A. Fossils are traces or remains of organisms that existed in the past and reveal the history of life on Earth.
B. The Earth is no more than 10,000 years old.
C. The present is the key to the past; over time, the Earth has changed under the influence of slow natural processes that continue to operate today.
D. All living species are related by descent from one or a few common ancestors.
E. Species do not change or go extinct; each species is so complex and perfect that it must have been designed by an intelligent being.
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Question 4
Select one answer.
10 points
Which is not a component of the modern theory of biological evolution?
A. All life forms are related by ancestry from one or a few single-celled common ancestors.
B. Natural selection explains life’s adaptive features.
C. Individuals gain experience during the developmental process that lead to evolution of the thought process.
D. Changes in the genetic makeup of a population can occur over time.
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Question 5
Select one answer.
10 points
How does evolution occur?
A. All of these are true.
B. The genetic makeup of a population changes over generations of time.
C. The genetic makeup of an individual changes in response to the environment.
D. The genetic makeup of a population changes seasonally.
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Question 6
Select one answer.
10 points
Which statement is true about Charles Darwin?
A. He was the first to propose a hypothesis for the origin of life.
B. He was the first to ask questions about the origins of life.
C. He was the first to outline the modern theory of evolution.
D. He was the first to publish the traditional belief of evolution.
