Practice Quiz for Darwin and Natural Selection

Practice Quiz for
Darwin and Natural Selection

No. of Questions= 12

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1. Charles Darwin was best known in the 19th century for:

a) creating the idea of evolution

b) creating the idea of uniformitarianism

c) making the idea of evolution acceptable for scientists and the educated general public

d) all of the above

2. Charles Darwin's ideas concerning the causes of evolution were probably formulated in his mind:

a) while he was still a student at Cambridge University

b) before he began his voyage of exploration around the world on H.M.S. Beagle

c) during his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, especially after he reached the Galápagos Islands

d) during the late 1880's

3. Charles Darwin concluded that the 13 species of finches on the Galápagos Islands:

a) were identical to 13 finch species in northwestern South America 600 miles to the east

b) probably evolved from one ancestral South American species

c) had all adapted to the same food sources

d) B and C

4. Through careful observation, Charles Darwin came to understand that:



a) populations of plants and animals in nature most often consist of individuals that are clones of each other

b) those individuals whose variation gives them an advantage in staying alive long enough to reproduce are more likely to pass their traits on to the next generation

c) populations of a species that become isolated from others by adapting to different environmental niches quickly become extinct

d) all of the above

5. Which of the following statements is true about Charles Darwin?



a) He believed that evolution was due to the inheritance of acquired characteristics.

b) He supported Lamarck's explanation of how evolution occurred.

c) He understood that the variation that exists in natural populations of plants or animals is the result of repeated mutations.

d) none of the above

6. The example of the peppered moths living near English industrial cities demonstrates that:

a) a change in an environment can result in the evolution of species living there

b) evolution occurs so slowly that it is not possible to determine that it has happened in less than a million years

c) the environment near these cities has always favored dark colored moths

7. The theory of evolution by natural selection was independently developed by:

a) Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin

b) Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace

c) Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck

d) Charles Lyell and James Hutton

8. Which of the following statements about Darwin is true?

a) He failed to convince the majority of biologists and other educated people in the late 19th century that life evolves.

b) He thought that the biggest and strongest animals are always at an advantage in natural selection.

c) His book On the Origin of Species did not sell well and the biologists in his time did not take much notice of it.

d) none of the above

9. Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection failed to explain how:

a) nature operates to reduce variation in a population every generation

b) new genetic varieties can appear in a population every generation

c) neither of the above

10. The evolution of one species into two or more species as a result of different populations becoming reproductively isolated from each other is:

a) adaptive radiation

b) creationism

c) photosynthesis

11. Boucher de Perthes is known for discovering something in northern France during the 1830's. What was it?

a) a partial Neandertal skeleton

b) prehistoric stone tools

c) the major cause of biological evolution

d) none of the above

12. Which of the following ideas was developed by Thomas Malthus?

a) Peppered moths living near English industrial cities provide a good example of evolution.

b) The diversity of Galápagos finch species is the result of natural selection.

c) Living things often produce far more offspring than are needed to maintain their numbers.

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Copyright © 1999-2012 by Dennis O'Neil. All rights reserved.

1.	Charles Darwin was best known in the 19th century for:


		a)	creating the idea of evolution
		b)	creating the idea of uniformitarianism
		c)	making the idea of evolution acceptable for scientists and the educated general public
		d)	all of the above


2.	Charles Darwin's ideas concerning the causes of evolution were probably formulated in his mind:


	a)		while he was still a student at Cambridge University
	b)		before he began his voyage of exploration around the world on H.M.S. Beagle
	c)		during his voyage on H.M.S. Beagle, especially after he reached the Galápagos Islands
	d)		during the late 1880's


3.	Charles Darwin concluded that the 13 species of finches on the Galápagos Islands:


	a)		were identical to 13 finch species in northwestern South America 600 miles to the east
	b)		probably evolved from one ancestral South American species
	c)		had all adapted to the same food sources
	d)		B and C


4.	Through careful observation, Charles Darwin came to understand that:


	a)		populations of plants and animals in nature most often consist of individuals that are clones of each other
	b)		those individuals whose variation gives them an advantage in staying alive long enough to reproduce are more likely to pass their traits on to the next generation
	c)		populations of a species that become isolated from others by adapting to different environmental niches quickly become extinct
	d)		all of the above


5.	Which of the following statements is true about Charles Darwin?


	a)		He believed that evolution was due to the inheritance of acquired characteristics.
	b)		He supported Lamarck's explanation of how evolution occurred.
	c)		He understood that the variation that exists in natural populations of plants or animals is the result of repeated mutations.
	d)		none of the above


6.	The example of the peppered moths living near English industrial cities demonstrates that:


	a)		a change in an environment can result in the evolution of species living there
	b)		evolution occurs so slowly that it is not possible to determine that it has happened in less than a million years
	c)		the environment near these cities has always favored dark colored moths


7.	The theory of evolution by natural selection was independently developed by:


	a)		Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin
	b)		Charles Darwin and Alfred Wallace
	c)		Erasmus Darwin and Lamarck
	d)		Charles Lyell and James Hutton


8.	Which of the following statements about Darwin is true?


	a)		He failed to convince the majority of biologists and other educated people in the late 19th century that life evolves.
	b)		He thought that the biggest and strongest animals are always at an advantage in natural selection.
	c)		His book On the Origin of Species did not sell well and the biologists in his time did not take much notice of it.
	d)		none of the above


9.	Darwin and Wallace's theory of evolution by natural selection failed to explain how:


	a)		nature operates to reduce variation in a population every generation
	b)		new genetic varieties can appear in a population every generation
	c)		neither of the above


10.	The evolution of one species into two or more species as a result of different populations becoming reproductively isolated from each other is:


	a)		adaptive radiation
	b)		creationism
	c)		photosynthesis


11.	Boucher de Perthes is known for discovering something in northern France during the 1830's. What was it?


	a)		a partial Neandertal skeleton
	b)		prehistoric stone tools
	c)		the major cause of biological evolution
	d)		none of the above


12.	Which of the following ideas was developed by Thomas Malthus?


	a)		Peppered moths living near English industrial cities provide a good example of evolution.
	b)		The diversity of Galápagos finch species is the result of natural selection.
	c)		Living things often produce far more offspring than are needed to maintain their numbers.