Unit 5 natural selection lesson 12 natural selection unit test
1. What is natural selection?
a. The process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce
b. The process by which individuals with disadvantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce
c. The process by which individuals randomly pass on their traits to the next generation
d. The process by which individuals with similar traits mate and produce offspring
2. Which of the following is NOT a requirement for natural selection to occur?
a. Variation in traits within a population
b. Differential survival and reproduction based on traits
c. Random mating within the population
d. Heritability of traits from one generation to the next
3. What role does the environment play in natural selection?
a. The environment has no impact on natural selection
b. The environment determines which traits are advantageous or disadvantageous
c. The environment has a random influence on which individuals survive and reproduce
d. The environment plays a minor role compared to genetic factors in natural selection
4. True or False: Natural selection always results in the best-adapted individuals surviving and reproducing.
a. True
b. False
5. How does natural selection lead to the evolution of a population over time?
a. By eliminating all genetic variation within a population
b. By causing individuals with advantageous traits to become more common in the population
c. By preventing any changes in the genetic makeup of the population
d. By promoting the mating of individuals with similar traits
6. Which of the following is an example of natural selection in action?
a. A student studying for an exam
b. A polar bear evolving thicker fur to survive in colder climates
c. A flower blooming in the spring
d. A rock eroding over time
7. What is an adaptation?
a. A trait that has no impact on an organism's survival and reproduction
b. A trait that is disadvantageous in a particular environment
c. A trait that enhances an organism's survival and reproduction in a specific environment
d. A trait that is only found in humans
8. What is the primary source of genetic variation within a population?
a. Mutation
b. Environmental factors
c. Random mating
d. Artificial selection
9. How can human activities impact natural selection in wild populations?
a. By speeding up the rate of evolution through selective breeding
b. By introducing new diseases that selectively target certain individuals
c. By hunting or fishing certain species, leading to changes in their population size and genetic diversity
d. By controlling which individuals in a population are allowed to reproduce
10. Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between natural selection and evolution?
a. Natural selection is the process by which evolution occurs
b. Natural selection and evolution are unrelated processes
c. Natural selection is a type of evolution
d. Evolution only occurs in the absence of natural selection
Answer Key:
1. a. The process by which individuals with advantageous traits are more likely to survive and reproduce
2. c. Random mating within the population
3. b. The environment determines which traits are advantageous or disadvantageous
4. b. False
5. b. By causing individuals with advantageous traits to become more common in the population
6. b. A polar bear evolving thicker fur to survive in colder climates
7. c. A trait that enhances an organism's survival and reproduction in a specific environment
8. a. Mutation
9. c. By hunting or fishing certain species, leading to changes in their population size and genetic diversity
10. a. Natural selection is the process by which evolution occurs