Darwin's Theory Flashcards

Which was Charles Darwin’s contribution to the study of biology?

During a trip to the Galapagos Islands, which observation led Charles Darwin to suspect that organisms change over time?

Charles Darwin observed a unique beak size and shape in the finch population of each of the Galapagos Islands that he visited.

Which is the most likely cause of the observed variation?

Veronica wrote Charles Darwin’s main points on the board, but she made a mistake in one point.

1. Since more offspring are produced than an environment can support, organisms within a population must compete for resources to survive.

2. Due to variations within the population, some competitors will be better equipped for survival than others.

3. The best-equipped organisms will survive and will produce well-equipped offspring.

4. Variations that help with survival will be passed on to future generations and will rapidly change the whole population.

Natural selection is a process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment tend to

What is natural selection?

In terms of natural selection, what is the best description of an organism that is fit?

According to the concept of “survival of the fittest," if a population of birds eats worms that they find deep under ground by using their beaks, which members of the bird population would be more fit?

Which statement would least likely be used to describe variation?

In the African savanna, more wildebeests are born than the environment can support. Which is most likely to happen over a period of years as a result?

Which of the gazelle’s naturally selected traits is shown in this picture to be an evolutionary advantage?

Koalas are marsupials that are found in eastern Australia. Although their ancestors lived mostly on the ground, modern koalas spend most of their time in eucalyptus trees. This is possible because their hands and feet have strong claws and opposable digits.

What other adaptations could have helped koalas as they evolved from land dwellers to tree-dwellers?

Which statement describes natural selection?

Which best describes the relationship between evolution and natural selection?

Which would least likely be a cause of natural selection?

Scientific investigations often lead to the formulation of new scientific questions. Charle’s Darwin reviewed his observations after he returned home from his voyage studying the selective breeding of pigeons. Which question would he be prompted to ask based on his voyage?

A frog has more offspring than can survive on available resources.
Which is this an example?

The map shows the allele frequency of sickled hemoglobin (HbS) and malaria endemicity in Africa.

Which statement best explains the relationship between HbS allele frequency and malaria endemicity in Africa?

Which organism exhibits behavioral adaptation?

A population of rabbits has individuals with fur coloring that ranges from white to brown. The population lives in a temperate deciduous forest where the summers are mild and average about 50°F. The winters are often below freezing.

If warmer temperatures last longer into the fall and the average temperature in the winter is getting warmer, what do you expect to happen to the population?