Unit 5 Test: Evolution & Natural Selection

Question 1

What is evolution?

Answer 1

Change in allele frequency over time

Question 2

How can evolution occur?

Answer 2

DNA mutations, migration, and natural selection

Question 3

What is an adaptation?

Answer 3

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce

Question 4

What is Natural Selection

Answer 4

Organism better adapted to their environment will survive and reproduce
“Survival of the fittest”

Question 5

How does the biological species concept define a species?

Answer 5

a group of organism that are capable of reproducing with other members of the same group, but not members of other species

Question 6

Why does the biological species concept not work for plants?

Answer 6

Plants are able to hybridize or maybe with members of different species (as long as they belong to the same genus)

Question 7

What is speciation?

Answer 7

The process of forming new species

Question 8

Who was Charles Darwin?

Answer 8

The father of evolution that came up with the idea of natural selection

Question 9

What was the HMS Beagle

Answer 9

The ship Darwin took his 5-year journey on in order to collect specimens of plants and animals

Question 10

What were examples of evidence of evolution on the Galápagos Islands?

Answer 10

Tortoises with long neck lived in areas with tall plants
Finches with strong breaks lived in areas with hard-shelled nuts

Question 11

What is biodiversity?

Answer 11

The variety of life in the world or in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Question 12

What are drivers of biodiversity?

Answer 12

Genetic exchange (introduction of new traits), environmental changes (environmental pressures causing organisms to adapt)

Question 13

Why would a phylogenetic tree based on DNA comparisons be more accurate than one based on physical traits?

Answer 13

Studying relationships at the DNA or molecular level is more accurate than comparing physical traits. You can see differences at the DNA level that you cannot see just by looking at the organism.

Question 14

How old is the Earth?

Answer 14

4.55 billion years old

Question 15

What was the Miller-Urey Experiment

Answer 15

A chemical experiment that simulated the conditions though at the time to be present on the early Earth, and tested the origin of biological molecules under those conditions

Question 16

What is the Extraterrestrial Hypothesis?

Answer 16

Meteorites brought biological molecules to Earth

Question 17

What are fossils?

Answer 17

The preserved remains or traces of organism that lived in the past

Question 18

What can fossils tell us?

Answer 18

Evidence of the history of life on Earth, Groups of organisms over a long period of time on Earth, Earths past climates

Question 19

Why is the discovery of Tiktaalik rosease important?

Answer 19

It shows evidence of the transition between aquatic animals and land animals

Question 20

What are homologous structures?

Answer 20

Homologous structures are similar in origin but not function (whale flippers/ humans arms)

Question 21

What are vestigial structures?

Answer 21

A structure that no longer serves a purpose in the present organism.

Question 22

What is an endemic species? Name an example.

Answer 22

An organism that only lives in one part of the world. For example the Venus Flytrap only lives within a 75 mile radius of Wilmington, NC

Question 23

How do bacteria become resistant to antibiotics?

Answer 23

By DNA mutations and natural selection, bacteria can develop defense mechanism against antibiotics.

Question 24

How do you format a scientific name?

Answer 24

The genus is capitalized and the species is lowercase. Both words are on italics!

Question 25

What are the taxonomic levels in order

Answer 25

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 26

If two organisms belong to the same genus, they also share the same…

Answer 26

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family

Question 27

What are the three domains of life?

Answer 27

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

Question 28

What are the five kingdoms of life?

Answer 28

Animals, Plants, Protists, Fungi, Bacteria

Question 29

Origin of life on earth

Answer 29

The process by which life began from non-living matter. Theories include the primordial soup hypothesis and the extraterrestrial hypothesis.

Question 30

Convergent Evolution

Answer 30

The evolution of similar features in species of different lineages, often due to similar environmental pressures. Example: The development of wings in birds and bats.

Question 31

Artificial Selection

Answer 31

The breeding of plants and animals by humans to produce desired traits. Example: The breeding of dogs for specific characteristics like size or temperature

Question 32

What did Darwin observe about finches beaks?

Answer 32

He noticed that the finches’ beak shape and size was related to their diet. Banana eating finches developed a long, yellow, banana shaped beak. Blueberry eating finches developed a small, blue dot beak. Hence, the banana and blueberry finches.

Question 33

Co-Evolution

Answer 33

The process by which two or more species evolve in response to each other. Example: the relationship between pollinating insects and flowers.