Name ______Date ______Per______
EVOLUTION WORKSHEET
Matching – Choose the correct term that describes each statement below.
1. ______Belief among geologists that organisms evolved through a slow, continuous process.
2. ______A change in the DNA; most often harmful, sometimes beneficial.
3. ______Group of organisms so closely related that they can interbreed and produce
viable/fertile offspring.
4. ______Scientist who proposed that organisms reproduce at a faster rate than the
environment can support.
5. ______Increased genetic variation as a result of crossing over in Prophase I of meiosis.
6. ______Any trait that enhances the survival and reproduction of an organism.
7. ______Structures reduced in size and function, but may have been used by an ancestor
8. ______Scientist who theorized that organisms acquired traits that were needed for survival.
9. ______Type of genetic drift where a large portion of the population is destroyed by a
natural disaster such as a fire, flood, volcano.
10. ______A reproductive barrier that leads to the development of a new species when
organisms have different courtship rituals.
11. ______Scientist who believed that organisms with favorable traits survived, reproduced, and
passed those favorable traits on to their offspring.
12. ______A reproductive barrier that forms new species when populations begin to
reproduce at different times of the year.
13. ______Having a double set of chromosomes; allows for increased genetic variation among
members in a population.
14. ______The idea that each living species is related and has arisen (with changes) from other
species of organisms over time.
15. ______Scientists who formed identical hypotheses to Darwin; his manuscript prompted Darwin to
publish his ideas.
16. ______Type of genetic drift where a portion of the population moves to another location;
the new population is not necessarily representative of the original population.
17. ______The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment.
18. ______Occurs when organisms from one community migrate into another; introduces new
alleles into the population; can result in a change in the genetic makeup of a population.
19. ______Factors that affect the gene pool of a population; can lead to the formation of new species
20. ______Formation of new species when populations have physically barriers that prevent them from reproducing
21. ______Preserved remains or traces of ancient organisms; used as evidence for evolution
22. ______Structures among organisms that have different functions, but are generated from the same
embryonic tissue; used as evidence for evolution.
23. ______Most reliable evidence supporting the theory of evolution.
24. ______Situation in which change in a population’s alleles is magnified because the population size is small.
25. ______Occurs when an organism fails to adapt to changes in its environment.
26. ______Pattern of evolution characterized by long periods of stability interrupted by brief periods of rapid change.
27. Give the definition of evolution by natural selection. ______
28. What is a vestigial structure? Give an example. ______
______
29. What is a homologous structure? What do many scientists say about animals who possess structures that are homologous?
______
30. According to the phylogenetic tree to the right, how many animals have jaws? ______
31. According to the phylogenetic tree to the right, which member probably changed
the least over time? ______
32. According to the phylogenetic tree to the right, what traits does a salamander have? ______
33. What type of information or evidence do scientists believe is the most reliable/accurate when illustrating the relationship between two organisms? ______
34. As species evolve and are no longer able to reproduce with each other, scientists say that they become reproductively isolated.
List the 3 types of reproductive isolation.
1. ______2. ______3.______
35. The Chimpanzee and the Bonobo populations were separated by the Congo River; therefore the groups could not reproduce with each other. This is called type of reproductive isolation is more specifically described as ______isolation.
36. 3 similar species of orchid live in the same rainforest, but they open at different times of the day for pollination/reproduction. What type of isolation is this? ______
37. In the 1830’s there was a population of genetically diverse Leopard seals off the coast of China. Humans started
hunting one particular type of seal, and by the end of the 19th century, the population was reduced to as few as 50 seals, all of
which were genetically similar to each other. The 50 survivors were not representative of the original population. Which of the
following describes this event? Put your answer in this blank: ______
a. Use and disuse
b. Bottleneck effect
c. Acquired traits
d. Gene Flow
e. Founder effect
38. Gel electrophoresis is used to analyze a species’ ______. The more banding patterns two species share in common, the LESS / MORE closely they are related. (circle the answer)
39. Look at the diagram to the right. Are these homologous or analogous structures? ______What is the definition for these structures? ______
______
40. Referring to question #39, do these structures indicate common ancestry or convergent evolution? ______