Name: ______Period: ______
ACA Evolution Review
1. The pelvis and femur in whales are an example of…
A. Vestigial structures
B. Homologous structures
C. Analogous structures
2. Using the diagram to the right, what are the
anatomical differences between modern horse, Equus, and
its ancestors?
3. Some organisms have genes that improve their ability to survive and reproduce. As these particular organisms survive and reproduce, what will most likely increase in the population?
4. Which condition is essential for natural selection to result in a new species?
5. Some bird-dispersed plants often have evolved fruits with giant seeds covered by a thin, highly nutritious layer of flesh. This forces the bird to swallow the fruit whole, since it is difficult or impossible just to nip off the flesh. In response, birds that are specialized frugivores (that is, that do not take other kinds of food) have evolved both bills with wide gapes (so they can swallow the fruit whole) and digestive tracts that can rapidly dissolve the flesh from the large impervious seed, which then can be regurgitated. This is an example of which type of evolution?
A. Convergent evolution
B. Divergent evolution
C. Coevolution
D. Punctuated equilibrium
6. The Australianhoney possumsacquired a long tongue for taking nectar from flowers, a structure similar to that ofbutterflies, some moths, and hummingbirds, and used to accomplish the very same task. Opossumshave evolved anopposable thumb, a feature which is also commonly found in non-relatedprimates. These are examples of which type of evolution?
A. Convergent evolution
B. Divergent evolution
C. Coevolution
D. Punctuated equilibrium
7. One spring, a flood disrupts an environment in which a small rodent lives. This causes the population of rodents to be divided. On one side of the water it's marshy, and on the other side it's mountainous. The population remains divided for millions of years, and each new environment has unique selective pressures. Over hundreds of generations, the two populations of rodents become more and more different and eventually become two separate species.What kind of evolution is this?
A. Convergent evolution
B. Divergent evolution
C. Coevolution
D. Punctuated equilibrium
Give the definition of your answer above and give an example:
8. Define: Punctuated Equilibrium:
9. When a cow contributes to the gene pool of a new herd, which of these most likely increases?
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A. Natural selection
B. Cow stature
C. Genetic Variation
D. Mutations
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10. Which of the finches in the diagram below would be able to eat the toughest cactus plants?
11. The similarities of organisms in which two areas numbered below provide the best evidence for common ancestry between the organisms in both locations?
A. 3 and 4
B. 1 and 2
C. 6 and 8
D. 2 and 4
12. The organisms to the right have structures that are different but have similar function. What is this called?
13. The organisms below provide evidence of common ancestry because they
have the same basic structure but different function. What is this called?
14. After examining the fossil record, scientists have determined that hundreds of millions of years ago, giant insects were common on Earth. ConsiderMeganeura, a genus of extinct insects from approximately 300 million years ago, related to modern-day dragonflies. One member of this group –M. permiana– was first described by researchers in Kansas in 1937 as having a wingspan of over 2 feet. It’s still considered one of the largest known insects that ever lived. Which of the following conclusions is supported by this information?
A. Insects living today have increased their numbers since they first appeared.
B. Insects in the fossil record are smaller than their descendants are.
C. Insects have changed as a result of natural selection.
D. Insects do not appear in their original state in the fossil record.
15. On the Galapagos Islands, Charles Darwin observed…
16. Sources of changes in species over time can be related to all of the following EXCEPT …
A. Mutations
B. Asexual reproduction
C. Genetic variations
D. Natural Selection
Support your answer above (WHY can’t your answer contribute to changes in species over time?):
17. Lord Howe Island is a small volcanic island in the Tasman Sea. The island has two species of orchid flowers, Hochstetter's Butterfly-orchid and the more abundant Platanthera pollostantha. The two species do not interbreed even when they grow very close to each other. Which evolutionary process fails to occur?
A. Genetic drift of Hochstetter's Butterfly-orchid
B. Natural selection of adaptive traits in both species
C. Gene flow between the two species
18. In Germany, scientists discovered a bird that has a long, narrow beak, and feeds from and pollinates a specific kind of flower. How is the bird’s beak size a beneficial adaptation for its environment?
A. The bird can fly faster.
B. The bird has little competition for food.
C. The bird has more time to feed.
D. The bird can pollinate all flowers.
19. Some animals have coloring that mimics the coloring of other species. For example, the harmless scarlet king snake has a similar banding pattern to the venomous coral snake. What is the benefit to the harmless scarlet king snake to have banding patterns like a venomous coral snake?
20. Which discovery would challenge the validity of this cladogram?
A. A seeded plant that is 200 million years old.
B. A fern fossil embedded in rock dated at 450 million years old.
C. A moss species that has existed for less than 380 million years.
D. A species of algae that has existed for less than one million years.
21. The diagram below shows a model of species divergence among some primates. If this model is
correct, the greatest genetic differences would be found in the DNA sequences of which two
species?
A. Tarsius bancanus and Cebus albifrons
B. Macaca sylvanus and Macaca mulatta
C. Hylobates lar and Pongo pygmaeus
D. Pan troglodytes and Lemur catta
22. Explain convergent evolution and give an example (draw arrows).
23. Explain divergent evolution and give an example (draw arrows).
24. Explain coevolution and give an example.
25. What kind of selection is A:______Describe______
26. What kind of selection is B: ______Describe______
27. What kind of selection is C: ______Describe______
28. The dasyuridae, which is native to New Guinea, and the wombat, which is native to Australia, are marsupials.
The fact that both these mammals incubate their immature offspring in a pouch provides evidence that they—
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A. Belong to the same species.
B. Are descended from a common ancestor.
C. Have very similar skeletal structures.
D. Are able to save food.
E. Must range great distances to eat.
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