Multiple Choice
Identify the
letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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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. | | |
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2.
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What
theory proposes that evolution occurs steadily in tiny changes over long periods of
time? a. | gradualism | c. | natural
selection | b. | relative dating | d. | punctuated equilibria | | | | |
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3.
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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. | | |
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4.
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Which
term refers to a species creating more offspring than can possibly survive? a. | natural
selection | c. | evolution | b. | overproduction | d. | variation | | | | |
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5.
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Which
term refers to similar structures that related species have inherited from a common
ancestor? a. | DNA
sequences | c. | homologous
structures | b. | developmental organisms | d. | punctuated equilibria | | | | |
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6.
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The
gradual change in a species over time is called a. | mutation. | c. | migration. | b. | evolution. | d. | variation. | | | | |
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7.
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Which
term refers to a species that no longer has any living members? a. | molded | c. | extinct | b. | fossilized | d. | petrified | | | | |
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8.
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Scientists combine evidence from fossils, body structures, early development, and DNA
and protein structures to a. | determine what bones an animal has in its
forelimbs. | b. | determine the evolutionary relationships among
species. | c. | decide which fossils are older than
others. | d. | determine whether an organism will have gills during its early
development. | | |
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9.
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A
trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce is called a(n) a. | mutation. | c. | adaptation. | b. | selection. | d. | variation. | | | | |
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10.
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Differences between members of the same species are called a. | predators. | c. | traits. | b. | selections. | d. | variations. | | | | |
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11.
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Why
do scientists think related species have similar body structures and development
patterns? a. | The species
inherited many of the same genes from each other. | b. | The species
inherited many of the same proteins from a common ancestor. | c. | The species
inherited all of the same genes from a common ancestor. | d. | The species
inherited many of the same genes from a common ancestor. | | |
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12.
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What
theory proposes that species evolve during short periods of rapid change? a. | gradualism | c. | absolute
dating | b. | evolution | d. | punctuated equilibria | | | | |
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13.
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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. | | |
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14.
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What
are fossils? a. | molds and casts
of organisms that live today | b. | drawings of ancient animals and other
organisms | c. | footprints or burrows of small animals that live
today | d. | the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the
past | | |
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15.
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A
branching tree is a. | a diagram
showing how scientists think different groups of organisms are related. | b. | a species of
tree that is not closely related to other tree species. | c. | a drawing that
shows where different animals live in a tree. | d. | a homologous
structure that many plants have. | | |
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16.
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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. | | |
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Completion
Complete each sentence or
statement.
Word
Bank
Species
genes
adaptation
sedimentary
geographic
continental drift
variations natural
selection DNA
extinct
relative
homologous branching
tree
ancestor 4.6
billion precambrian
time half-life
radioactive
geographic
sedimentary petrified
fossil
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17.
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To
determine a fossil’s actual age, scientists analyze ____________________ elements in rocks near
the fossils.
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18.
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Organisms can mate and produce fertile offspring only within their own
____________________.
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19.
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Scientists show how groups of organisms are related by placing them on a diagram
called a(n) ____________________.
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20.
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When
minerals replace bone, a(n) ____________________ forms.
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21.
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An
inherited characteristic that improves the chance for an organism to survive and reproduce is a(n)
____________________.
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22.
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Proteins can be used to determine how closely related organisms are because amino acid
sequences are determined by an organism’s ____________________.
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23.
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Most
fossils are found in ____________________ rock.
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24.
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The
theory of ____________________ states that species evolve quickly over a short time.
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25.
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Natural selection is affected by ____________________, or traits that are different in
members of the same species.
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26.
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The
forelimbs of a bird and a mammal are examples of ____________________ structures.
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27.
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The
separation of a group of organisms from the rest of its species by a mountain range is an example of
____________________ isolation.
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28.
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Similarities in the early development of turtles and rats suggest that these animals
share a common ____________________.
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29.
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Earth’s history spans more than ____________________ years.
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30.
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The
fossil record provides information about species that are ____________________, or have died
out.
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31.
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The
____________________ of a radioactive element is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a sample
to decay.
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32.
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New
species formed when groups were isolated by the process of ____________________, in which Pangaea
split apart.
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33.
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____________________ dating can be used to determine which of two fossils is younger
and which is older, but not what their actual ages are.
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34.
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In
the process of ____________________, the organisms that are best suited to their environments are
most likely to survive.
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35.
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The
only traits that can be acted upon by natural selection are those that are controlled by
____________________.
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36.
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Living things first appeared during the geologic time period known as
____________________.
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True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true
or false
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37.
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Darwin thought that species evolved rapidly.
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38.
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The
more similar the DNA sequences of two species are, the more closely related the species
are.
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39.
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Through natural selection, harmful variations gradually accumulate in a
species.
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40.
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On a
branching tree, a species is more closely related to a species on the same branch than to one
on a separate branch.
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