Evolution Quiz

Last updated · 10 min play time

Evolution is the principle that unites all of biology into a single coherent science. What do you know about the theory that accounts for the diversity of life on Earth?



Eugene has a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and taught both general biology and nutrition. Several of his publications have appeared in peer-reviewed journals. He revises chapters, produces, edits, and proofreads materials for college textbooks.

Most importantly he loves learning about biology. Learning and making connections among the disparate pieces of information he finds is one of his passions. Another passion is sharing and discussing this information with others.

Evolution Quiz Questions

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Question 1

There is a genetic component to moth coloration. When trees are covered with soot, dark colored moths are less likely to be eaten by birds than lighter colored moths. The result is an increase in the number of dark colored moths through time. What is the general term for the process?

  • A
    Genetic drift
  • B
    The founder effect
  • C
    The bottleneck effect
  • D
    Natural selection

Question 2

What is evolution?

  • A
    The theory that states that all life is composed of cells.
  • B
    Descent with modification.
  • C
    The creation of species.
  • D
    The theory that healthier individuals leave more offspring than less healthy individuals.

Question 3

Genetic drift is the result of _____.

  • A
    overpopulation
  • B
    chance
  • C
    differential reproductive success
  • D
    environmental variation

Question 4

Which of the following is an example of stabilizing selection?

  • A
    The increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
  • B
    A catastrophe that wipes out nearly 99% of a population.
  • C
    The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same.
  • D
    In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species.

Question 5

Which of the following is most likely to lead to the evolution of two different species?

  • A
    Diversifying selection
  • B
    Stabilizing selection
  • C
    Directional selection
  • D
    Anagenesis

Question 6

Which of the following is an example of directional selection?

  • A
    The increase in antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria.
  • B
    In different parts of Africa, a tasty butterfly species mimics different distasteful butterfly species.
  • C
    The birth weight at which newborn humans are most likely to survive and the average weight of newborn humans are about the same.
  • D
    The increase in the number of different breeds of dog.

Question 7

After surviving a bottleneck a population recovers to the point where it consists of as many individuals as it did prior to the bottleneck. Which of the following statements is most likely to apply to this population?

  • A
    The post-bottleneck population has less of a chance of going extinct than did the pre-bottleneck population.
  • B
    The post-bottleneck population exhibits more genetic variation than the pre-bottleneck population.
  • C
    The post-bottleneck population exhibits less genetic variation than the pre-bottleneck population.
  • D
    The post-bottleneck population has the same probability of going extinct as did the pre-bottleneck population.

Question 8

Which of the following is the most likely explanation for the Amish having a higher incidence of polydactyly than the human population as a whole?

  • A
    Diversifying selection
  • B
    Bottleneck effect
  • C
    Directional selection
  • D
    Founder effect

Question 9

Your physician gives you a prescription for an antibiotic. You take the antibiotic until you are feeling better and decide to save the remaining doses for future use. What is the likely result of your behavior?

  • A
    You are making yourself immune to that antibiotic.
  • B
    You are saving yourself from having to pay money to renew the prescription when, at sometime in the future, you again need that antibiotic.
  • C
    You are contributing to that antibiotic being less effective the next time it is used.
  • D
    By using less of the antibiotic, you decrease the exposure of bacteria to that antibiotic and thus help to make sure that the antibiotic will remain effective when used in the future.

Question 10

What type of reproductive isolating mechanism is described by a situation in which female fireflies only mate with males who emit light in a particular pattern?

  • A
    Temporal isolation
  • B
    Mechanical isolation
  • C
    Behavioral isolation
  • D
    Hybrid sterility

Question 11

The similarity of the embryos of fish, frogs, birds, and humans is evidence of _____.

  • A
    genetic drift
  • B
    common ancestry
  • C
    convergent evolution
  • D
    analogy

Question 12

Some species of Anopheles mosquitos live in brackish water, some in running fresh water, and others in stagnant water. What type of reproductive barrier is most obviously separating these different species?

  • A
    Temporal isolation
  • B
    Postzygotic isolation
  • C
    Behavioral isolation
  • D
    Habitat isolation

Question 13

Certain whale species were hunted to near extinction. With a moratorium on hunting them, their population sizes have expanded. Which of the following is true?

  • A
    Whale species have a high reproductive rate.
  • B
    Hunting can "refresh" a whale species and increase its overall fitness.
  • C
    The populations may still be endangered because they may have little remaining genetic variation.
  • D
    Hunting is a form of stabilizing selection.

Question 14

A reproductive barrier that prevents individuals from mating is an example of _____.

  • A
    hybrid inviability
  • B
    a prezygotic barrier
  • C
    hybrid sterility
  • D
    zygote mortality

Question 15

What does evolutionary fitness measure?

  • A
    Reproductive success
  • B
    Longevity
  • C
    Physical health
  • D
    Population size

Question 16

Speciation requires _____.

  • A
    genetic isolation
  • B
    a mass extinction so that new environmental opportunities will be available to the survivors
  • C
    periods of rapid evolutionary change
  • D
    geographic isolation

Question 17

Horses and donkeys can mate and produce healthy offspring. Why do they remain separate species?

  • A
    The mating behavior of the offspring is not recognized as such by any other animal.
  • B
    Their offspring, while healthy may have a very short lifespan.
  • C
    They don't like the looks of the other.
  • D
    Their offspring are sterile.

Question 18

What term is used to describe the influence that insects and flowers have on each others evolution?

  • A
    Bievolution
  • B
    Convergence
  • C
    Dievolution
  • D
    Coevolution

Question 19

The elaborate tail feathers of peacocks arose as a result of _____.

  • A
    disruptive selection
  • B
    sexual selection
  • C
    stabilizing selection
  • D
    convergent evolution

Question 20

Which of the following terms applies to the genes (potentially) shared by all members of a population?

  • A
    Genome
  • B
    Gene lake
  • C
    Gene ocean
  • D
    Gene pool

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