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The ScientificTheory of Evolution

Directions: Match the scientist with their experiment by placing the appropriate letter in the space to the left of the number.  Each scientist may be used only once.
 
 
Scientists
a.
Francis Crick
b.
Charles Darwin
c.
Rosalind Franklin
d.
Gregor Mendel
e.
Stanley Miller & Harold Urey
f.
Lewis Pasteur
g.
Francesco Redi
h.
Lazzaro Spallanzani
i.
James Watson
j.
Henry Wilkins
 

 1. 

 In this experiment, maggots were found only in the control jars.
 

 2. 

 In this experiment, meat broth was boild in open flasks, then one flask was sealed and the other left open.
 

 3. 

 In this experiment, a flask with a curved but open neck prevented microorganisms from entering. 
 

 4. 

 In this experiment, the hypothesis of  the organic molecules of early Earth were tested using electrodes, hydrogen, methane, ammonia and water vapor.
 

 5. 

 In this experiment, pea plants were used to demonstate mathematical probabilities of offspring through selective breeding.
 

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

 6. 
Spontaneous generation has been offered as an explanation for
a.
the birth of live offspring from a mother.
b.
the germination of a seed.
c.
the appearance of maggots on rotting meat.
d.
All of the above
 

 7. 
The age of Earth is estimated to be approximately
a.
2 million years.
c.
2 trillion years.
b.
2 billion years.
d.
4 billion years.
 

 8. 
The age of fossils, such as those of bones, can sometimes be determined by
a.
observing their magnetism.
b.
measuring the amount of a specific radioactive isotope in the fossil bones.
c.
analyzing the DNA in the bones.
d.
observing their developmental pattern.
 

 9. 
The process by which a population becomes better suited to its environment is known as
a.
accommodation.
c.
adaptation.
b.
variation.
d.
acclimation.
 

 10. 
Natural selection is the process by which
a.
the age of selected fossils is calculated.
b.
organisms with traits well suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully than organisms less suited to the same environment.
c.
acquired traits are passed on from one generation to the next.
d.
All of the above
 

 11. 
Cytochrome c is a protein that is involved in cellular respiration in all eukaryotic organisms. Human cytochrome c contains 104 amino acids. The following table compares human cytochrome c with cytochrome c from a number of other organisms.


Organism		Number of cytochrome c amino acids
that differ from human cytochrome c amino acids
Chickens
18
Chimpanzees
0
Dogs
13
Rattlesnakes
20
Rhesus monkeys
1
Yeasts
56

Which of the following is not a valid inference from these data?
a.
Chimpanzees are more closely related to humans than yeasts are.
b.
The cytochrome c of chimpanzees differs from that of rhesus monkeys by only one amino acid.
c.
Dogs are more closely related to humans than chickens are.
d.
All of the proteins produced by chimpanzees and humans are identical.
 

 12. 
Speciation can occur as a result of geographic isolation because
a.
members of a species can no longer find mates.
b.
populations that live in different environments may be exposed to different selection pressures.
c.
the biological concept of species defines individuals that do not interbreed as members of different species.
d.
All of the above
 

 13. 
Homologous structures in organisms provide evidence that the organisms
a.
share a common ancestor.
b.
must have lived at different times.
c.
have a skeletal structure.
d.
are now extinct.
 

 14. 
Gene flow describes the
a.
movement of genes from one generation to the next.
b.
movement of genes from one population to another.
c.
exchange of genes during recombination.
d.
movement of genes within a population because of interbreeding.
 

 15. 
The half-life of carbon-14 is 5,730 years. How much of an initial amount of this substance would remain after 17,190 years, which is three times its half-life?
a.
none
c.
one-fourth
b.
one-half
d.
one-eighth
 

 16. 
The major idea that Darwin presented in his book The Origin of Species was that
a.
species change over time and never compete with each other.
b.
animals change, but plants remain the same over time.
c.
species may change in small ways but cannot give rise to new species.
d.
species change over time by natural selection.
 

 17. 
Populations of the same species living in different places
a.
do not vary.
b.
always show balancing selection.
c.
are genetically identical to each other.
d.
become increasingly different as each population becomes adapted to its own environment.
 

 18. 
Natural selection acts
a.
on heterozygous genotypes.
b.
only on recessive alleles.
c.
on phenotypes that are expressed.
d.
on all mutations.
 

 19. 
The movement of alleles into or out of a population due to migration is called
a.
mutation.
c.
nonrandom mating.
b.
gene flow.
d.
natural selection.
 

 20. 
A change in the frequency of a particular gene in one direction in a population is called
a.
directional selection.
b.
acquired variation.
c.
chromosome drift.
d.
stabilizing selection.
 

 21. 
The type of selection that may eliminate intermediate phenotypes is
a.
direction selection.
b.
disruptive selection.
c.
polygenic selection.
d.
stabilizing selection.
 

 22. 
Directional selection tends to eliminate
a.
both extremes in a range of phenotypes.
b.
one extreme in a range of phenotypes.
c.
intermediate phenotypes.
d.
None of the above; it causes new phenotypes to form.
 

 23. 
The large, brightly colored tail feathers of the male peacock are valuable to him because
a.
they attract potential predators.
b.
they warn off potential competitors for mates.
c.
they attract potential mates.
d.
they attract people who provide them with food.
 

Interpreting Graphs
Apply your knowledge of half-life and analyze the graph beow. Complete the statement by interpreting the data in the graph and then writing your answer in the space provided.
 

 24. 
co024-1.jpg

The diagram above illustrates the radioactive decay of potassium-40. The half-life of potassium-40 is about ____________________ billion years.
 

 

Essay
 

 25. 
An agricultural plot of land is sprayed with a very powerful insecticide to destroy harmful insects. Nevertheless, many of the same species of insects are present on the land the following year. How might evolution theory account for this phenomenon? Write your answer in the space below.
 



 
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