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Quizzes > High School Quizzes > Science

Ace Your Evolution Practice Test

Interactive review for AP Biology evolution mastery

Difficulty: Moderate
Grade: Grade 12
Study OutcomesCheat Sheet
Colorful paper art promoting an AP Biology evolutionary concepts trivia quiz for students.

What is the primary mechanism of evolution described by Darwin?
Mutation
Genetic Drift
Gene Flow
Natural Selection
Natural selection is the process through which organisms with favorable traits have higher survival and reproductive success. Darwin identified this mechanism as the driving force behind evolution.
Which term describes a heritable trait that increases an organism's chance of survival?
Adaptation
Mutation
Phenotype
Inheritance
An adaptation is a trait that enhances survival and reproductive success. It is heritable, meaning it can be passed down to future generations.
Which statement is true about genetic variation in a population?
Genetic variation is essential for evolution, arising mainly from mutations and sexual reproduction.
Genetic variation is usually harmful and results in less viable populations.
Genetic variation is constant and unchanging in all populations.
Genetic variation is only influenced by environmental factors and not by genetic changes.
Genetic variation is critical for evolution as it provides the raw material that natural selection acts upon. Without variation, populations would not be able to adapt to changing environments.
What type of evidence supports the theory of evolution?
Exclusively geographical distribution of species.
Fossil records, comparative anatomy, and molecular biology, all of which show patterns of change over time.
Only fossil records, which provide a complete history of life.
Only modern-day observations with no historical data.
Multiple lines of evidence including fossils, anatomy, and DNA analysis support the theory of evolution. These data collectively provide a robust framework demonstrating evolutionary change.
What does 'adaptation' mean in an evolutionary context?
A temporary change in an organism's behavior due to external factors.
An acquired characteristic that is not passed to offspring.
A sudden genetic mutation that is always harmful.
A heritable trait that enhances survival and reproduction in a specific environment.
Adaptation refers to a heritable trait that confers a survival or reproductive advantage in a given environment. It results from the process of natural selection acting on genetic variation.
What role does mutation play in evolution?
It creates identical copies of genomes without any change.
It always leads to harmful effects in organisms.
It eliminates all harmful genes from the population.
It introduces new genetic variations that may be acted upon by natural selection.
Mutations are changes in the genetic material that introduce new alleles. These variations form the basis upon which natural selection can act, potentially leading to evolutionary change.
Which of the following best describes genetic drift?
A directed change in traits due to environmental pressures.
A random change in allele frequencies in a population, especially in small populations.
A process that only occurs through migration between populations.
A mechanism that always increases genetic diversity.
Genetic drift refers to random fluctuations in allele frequencies that are more pronounced in small populations. It is not driven by external selective pressures but rather by chance events.
In which scenario is the founder effect most likely to occur?
When a large, stable population splits evenly into two groups.
When a small group of individuals forms a new population isolated from the original group.
When mutations occur at a high rate in a large population.
When individuals migrate back and forth between populations frequently.
The founder effect happens when a new population is established by a very small group of individuals from a larger population. The small founder group carries only a fraction of the genetic variation of its parent population.
Which concept explains the emergence of two new species from a single ancestral species?
Convergent evolution.
Inheritance of acquired characteristics.
Horizontal gene transfer.
Speciation, often occurring due to reproductive isolation.
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. This often involves the development of reproductive barriers between populations.
What is the role of natural selection in evolution?
It randomly selects traits regardless of their functionality.
It ensures that all individuals in a population become identical.
It eliminates genetic variation completely.
It increases the frequency of beneficial traits that improve survival and reproduction.
Natural selection systematically favors traits that increase an organism's fitness. This process leads to an increased prevalence of advantageous traits over time.
How does gene flow affect a population?
It speeds up genetic drift in large populations.
It causes mutations in the genetic code.
It decreases genetic diversity by isolating populations.
It introduces new genetic material by transferring alleles between populations.
Gene flow occurs when individuals migrate between populations, thereby mixing genetic material. This process can increase genetic diversity and reduce differences between populations.
Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
The development of different beak shapes in Darwin's finches due to varied food sources.
The diversification of species from a common ancestor due to geographic isolation.
The independent evolution of similar features, such as the wings of bats and birds.
The variation in fur color within a single species.
Convergent evolution occurs when distinct lineages develop similar adaptations in response to similar environmental challenges. The evolution of wings in both bats and birds is a classic example.
Which statement best describes allopatric speciation?
A scenario where species lose their ability to interbreed due to genetic drift alone.
Speciation that occurs without any physical barriers, within the same geographic area.
The formation of new species through hybridization events.
A process where geographical barriers lead to reproductive isolation and the formation of new species.
Allopatric speciation is driven by geographic separation, resulting in isolated populations that evolve independently. Over time, these genetic differences can lead to the formation of distinct species.
What does the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium theorem assume about a population?
That allele frequencies remain constant in the absence of evolutionary forces.
That natural selection is the primary force altering allele frequencies.
That gene flow is the key mechanism maintaining genetic variation.
That mutations occur at high rates continuously.
The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium model assumes a set of conditions under which allele frequencies do not change. These conditions include no mutation, random mating, no gene flow, an infinitely large population, and no selection.
Which of the following is a potential outcome when a beneficial mutation arises in a large, sexually reproducing population?
It always leads to a decrease in overall fitness.
It may gradually become fixed if it offers a significant fitness advantage.
It will immediately disrupt the genetic structure of the population.
It is quickly eliminated by genetic drift.
A beneficial mutation can increase in frequency over time if it confers an advantage. In a large population, although genetic drift has less influence, natural selection can drive the mutation toward fixation if the benefit is significant.
How can sexual selection result in decreased survival despite increasing reproductive success?
It always results in physical disadvantages unrelated to survival.
It can favor traits that are energetically costly or increase predation risk, such as bright colors.
It leads to lower genetic diversity in the population.
It reduces the overall fitness of all individuals uniformly.
Sexual selection can favor traits that improve mating success even if they have associated survival costs. This trade-off arises because increased reproductive success may compensate for a higher risk of predation or energetic expense.
In evolutionary biology, what does the term 'fitness' refer to?
The ability of an organism to survive and produce offspring, relative to others.
The speed at which an organism adapts to environmental changes.
An organism's overall health and physical strength.
The level of physical activity an organism exhibits.
Fitness in evolutionary biology is defined by an organism's reproductive success and its ability to pass on genes. It goes beyond physical strength to include overall contributions to the next generation.
What is the significance of the molecular clock in evolutionary studies?
It measures the immediate speed of natural selection in real-time.
It allows scientists to estimate the time of species divergence by analyzing genetic mutations.
It directly quantifies the environmental impact on genetic changes.
It predicts future evolutionary changes with certainty.
The molecular clock concept is based on the nearly constant rate at which genetic mutations accumulate over time. This tool helps in estimating the divergence time between species based on genetic differences.
How does balancing selection maintain genetic diversity in a population?
By promoting random mutations that disrupt established gene patterns.
By favoring multiple alleles, such as through heterozygote advantage, thus maintaining variation.
By completely eliminating less advantageous alleles from the population.
By ensuring that only one allele becomes predominant.
Balancing selection maintains genetic diversity by favoring situations where multiple alleles confer a survival advantage, such as when heterozygous individuals have higher fitness. This process prevents any one allele from becoming fixed in the population.
How might the Red Queen hypothesis explain the coevolution of hosts and parasites?
It implies that coevolution stops once a balance is reached between hosts and parasites.
It asserts that only hosts evolve while parasites remain unchanged.
It claims that parasites always out-evolve their hosts, leading to host extinction.
It suggests that both hosts and parasites must constantly evolve new defenses and countermeasures in an ongoing arms race.
The Red Queen hypothesis describes the continuous evolutionary arms race between hosts and parasites. Both must adapt continually to counter each other's defenses, leading to perpetual coevolution.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Analyze evidence supporting natural selection and adaptation.
  2. Understand the mechanisms driving genetic variation and evolutionary change.
  3. Evaluate fossil records and comparative anatomy to reconstruct evolutionary history.
  4. Apply evolutionary concepts to explain biodiversity and speciation patterns.

Evolution Practice Test AP Biology Cheat Sheet

  1. Natural Selection - Individuals with traits that boost survival and reproduction pass those traits on more often, causing them to become widespread in a population. Over generations, this "survival of the fittest" mechanism sculpts adaptations. OpenStax Biology: Understanding Evolution
  2. Evidence of Evolution - Fossil records reveal how life forms have changed over millions of years, while homologous structures and molecular similarities confirm common ancestry. These data sets together build a solid case for descent with modification. OpenStax Biology: Understanding Evolution
  3. Mechanisms of Evolution - Mutation introduces new genetic variations, gene flow shuffles alleles between populations, genetic drift causes random shifts in small groups, and sexual selection favors traits that improve mating success. All these factors alter allele frequencies over time. CliffsNotes: Evolution
  4. Speciation - When populations become reproductively isolated - geographically in allopatric speciation or within the same area in sympatric speciation - they accumulate distinct genetic differences. Eventually, these differences prevent interbreeding and create new species. CliffsNotes: Evolution
  5. Patterns of Evolution - Divergent evolution produces related species with different traits, convergent evolution yields unrelated species with similar features, and coevolution drives reciprocal adaptations between interacting species. Recognizing these patterns helps trace evolutionary pathways. OpenStax Biology: Understanding Evolution
  6. Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium - This principle defines a non‑evolving population by five criteria: no mutations, random mating, no gene flow, infinite population size, and no selection. Deviations from equilibrium signal that one or more evolutionary forces are at work. Student Notes: Understanding Evolution
  7. Adaptive Radiation - A single ancestral species rapidly diversifies into multiple new species, each adapted to a unique niche or environment. This burst of speciation explains the variety of finch beaks in the Galápagos, for example. Student Notes: Understanding Evolution
  8. Genetic Drift - Random fluctuations in allele frequencies can have outsized effects in small populations, sometimes fixing or eliminating alleles by chance. Over time, drift can drive significant evolutionary change without selection. Fiveable Library: Evolutionary Mechanisms
  9. Homologous vs. Analogous Structures - Homologous structures arise from shared ancestry, even if their functions differ, while analogous structures perform similar roles despite separate evolutionary origins. Spotting the difference reveals how environmental pressures versus lineage shape anatomy. OpenStax Biology: Understanding Evolution
  10. Vestigial Structures - Vestigial organs or features have lost most or all of their original function through evolution, like the human appendix or whale pelvis remnants. They serve as living clues to an organism's evolutionary past. OpenStax Biology: Understanding Evolution
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