AnswersCMS 2026-2027 Biology CREDIT RECOVERYNatural Selection and Evolution

Practice Test Answers

15 verified answers
1
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Which is the best description of the two organisms highlighted in orange?

A
They are separated by two nodes.
B
They share a recent common ancestor.
C
They are ancestors of each other.
D
They belong to the same species.
2
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Osteichthyes is a group of fish that have the derived characteristics of jaws and true bones. Which letter corresponds to where Osteichthyes belongs on the cladogram?

A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
3

From the information in the graph, what can be predicted about this species?

A
The species lived between 1 and 0 point 5 million years ago.
B
The species lived between 1 point 5 and 1 million years ago.
C
The species was smarter than modern humans.
D
The species is closely related to modern humans.
4

A feature in the early hominid was her apelike shoulders and forelimbs, but a pelvis that indicated that most of her body weight lay above her pelvis. Which best describes the fossil?

A
Scientists call her Handy Human and her apelike structure indicates she could use tools like chimpanzees.
B
Scientists call her Upright Human because of the location of the pelvis.
C
Scientists called her Lucy and her pelvis indicates she could walk upright.
D
Scientists call her Wise Human and her apelike structure indicates a common ancestor to chimpanzees.
5

In rock layers, jellyfish fossils are found lower than trilobite fossils, and trilobite fossils are found lower than ammonite fossils. What can be determined from this information?

A
Jellyfish, trilobites, and ammonites lived together.
B
Trilobites existed before jellyfish and ammonites.
C
Jellyfish existed before trilobites and ammonites.
D
Ammonites existed before trilobites and jellyfish.
6

Changes in the gene pool can occur due to various mechanisms. In 1989, a large oil spill occurred in Prince William Sound, Alaska, when the Exxon Valdez oil tanker ran aground. Approximately 11 million gallons of oil were spilled and spread 1,300 miles along the Alaskan coastline. The damage from the oil spill affected thousands of animals in the area, including killer whales, harbor seals, sea otters, fish, and sea birds. Which mechanism most likely affected the gene pools of the organism populations in the areas around the oil spill?

A
genetic drift
B
gene flow
C
gene mutation
D
genetic variation
7

Which is an example of temporal isolation?

A
squirrels that have different fur colors
B
flowers that bloom in different months
C
birds that have different mating calls
D
fruit flies that mate in different locations
8

A founding population of lizards arrives on an island. Which type of isolation would most likely result in this population becoming a new species?

A
temporal
B
behavioral
C
geographical
D
anatomical
9

Which factors affect natural selection?

A
variation, overpopulation, adaptation
B
inheritance, isolation, adaptation
C
variation, inheritance, speciation
D
isolation, overpopulation, speciation
10

Which idea inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution?

A
Traits acquired during the lifetime of an organism can be passed on.
B
Species as a whole have remained unchanged for millions of years.
C
Population changes are driven by competition and sexual selection.
D
Organisms can modify their environment to improve living conditions.
12

Which discovery could provide evidence against the theory of evolution?

A
a living whale with a basic hip bone structure
B
a primate and trilobite fossil in the same rock layer
C
a bat fossil with a different limb structure than modern bats
D
a human gene in birds, fish, insects, and plants
13

Carlos is collecting data about the length of earthworms in his backyard. The shortest worm he found is 4 inches long; the longest worm is 8 inches long. If most of the worms are either short or long, which type of distribution is displayed in the population?

A
normal
B
disruptive
C
stabilizing
D
directional
14

Variations within a species are an important part of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. Which example can be explained by individual variation?

A
Brightly colored cardinals are better able to survive and to reproduce than darker cardinals.
B
The food source in a lake is not enough to support the bass population, but it can support the trout.
C
A population of brown bears has doubled in the past 10 years as its habitat size has increased.
D
Owls and foxes compete fiercely against each other for small rodents in their habitat.
15

These notes were taken during a class about biological evolution, but the subject title is missing. -results from immigration -new genes brought into a population -variation in a population increases What do the notes describe?

A
natural selection
B
genetic drift
C
gene flow
D
mutation
16

What hypothesis did Darwin investigate by studying the breeding of pigeons with distinctive traits?

A
Some traits appear in each generation, while others seem to disappear in some generations.
B
The amount of variation in a population is related to the type of environment it lives in.
C
Organisms have only the number of offspring that are supported by the environment.
D
New species can appear gradually through small changes in an ancestral species.

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