1. What is the purpose of natural selection?



to limit the genetic variation of a population

to increase the frequency of desired alleles in a population

to keep life going even as the environment changes




  1. Which is an example of artificial selection?



A farmer crosses two kinds of corn. He produces a new, better tasting type of corn.

A flood drowns most of the lizards in an area. Only lizards that can swim live to reproduce.

Two male wild turkeys fight. The weaker one is killed. The winner mates with all the females.






  1. A fossil found under a layer of rock is usually _____.



evolved from the rock

younger than the rock

older than the rock

made from a different type of rock






  1. What is the creation of new combinations of alleles called?



gene flow

genetic drift

recombination

mutation






  1. Which evolutionary mechanism caused the increase in dark-colored Biston betularia moths in England in the 1800s?



gene flow

genetic drift

natural selection

overproduction






  1. Natural selection is based on Darwin’s observation that individuals most likely to survive and reproduce are those _____.



with many offspring that have similar traits

with traits best suited to their current environment

that descended from previous life forms

that do not resemble their ancestors


  1. At one time, dinosaurs lived on Earth. Today they are extinct. This relates to _____.



both macroevolution and microevolution

microevolution

macroevolution




  1. An orphaned female lion joins a band of lions. The addition of her genes to their gene pool is _____.



natural selection

recombination

genetic drift

gene flow




  1. Which is an example of a population?



all the squirrels in North America and Europe

all the rose bushes around the world

all the sugar maple trees in a state park

all the species of organisms in one state




  1. Which of the following explains Darwin’s theory of natural selection?



Individuals in a population with traits best suited for that environment survive and increase in number.

More recent species of organisms are changed descendants of earlier species.

Present organisms are related to and descended from past organisms.