Ecosystems

Unit 1: Natural Selection

Pre-Test

  1. Natural selection is primarily driven by .
  1. genetic flaws in species
  2. environmental change
  3. extinction of species
  4. stability of the environment
  5. choices made by individuals of a species
  1. Natural selection mainly involves .
  1. predators
  2. prey
  3. species
  4. plants not animals
  5. animals not plants
  1. A specific portion of a habitat that is well-suited for a particular species is called a(n) .
  1. biosphere
  2. ecosystem
  3. herd
  4. niche
  5. population
  1. Natural selection generally occurs .
  1. with decreases in temperature
  2. as a result of cataclysmic changes in the environment
  3. due to identical adjustments in the genes of an entire population
  4. as species improve their environment
  5. only in aquatic environments
  1. By studying the fossil record, scientist have some idea that .
  1. life is more diverse now than it has ever been
  2. more species are extinct than alive today
  3. no species has survived for more than 1000 years
  4. new species are evolving every day
  5. niches are the same today as they were 100,000 years ago

  1. Which of the following statements concerning natural selection is true?
  1. Predators do not play a role in natural selection.
  2. Niches are the only thing that do not change in the environment
  3. Competition for food results in natural selection
  4. A stable environment is essential for natural selection
  5. Diseases are not a part of natural selection
  1. In general, the species that has the best chance for survival are the .
  1. largest
  2. simplest
  3. most complex
  4. smallest
  5. strongest
  1. Reproduction is essential for species survival in that it allows for .
  1. a species to populate its niche
  2. more food to be gathered for the species
  3. new species to develop from cross-breeding two different species
  4. individuals to change species if their niche changes
  5. species to alter their niche to exclude other species
  1. Humans most often impact natural selection by .
  1. introduction of new genes into existing species
  2. destruction of niches
  3. altering species to fit into niches
  4. removing threats from the environment
  5. improving animals’ food supply
  1. Hybrid plants are produced because .
  1. hybrids produce more offspring
  2. they have more desirable characteristics
  3. they are more susceptible to environmental change
  4. hybrids can alter their niches
  5. hybrids are immune to natural selection

  1. In recent years, the primary driving force in the extinction of a species is .
  1. human intervention
  2. natural disasters
  3. development of new species through mutation
  4. introduction of new species through genetic engineering
  5. poor nutrition
  1. Which of the following examples are ways in which humans interfere in natural selection?
  1. Developing domesticated animal species
  2. Eruption of volcanoes, leading to increased dust in the atmosphere
  3. Asteroid impacts, decreasing the temperature of the Earth
  4. Alteration of the amount of radioactive carbon in the air
  5. Studying the fossil record