Biology Chapter 16 Review Questions
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What are the two core principles of the theory of evolution?
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common descent with modification and natural selection
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The process by which a species can change through their differential reproductive capacity is known as?
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Natural Selection
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What does the principle of common descent imply about humans?
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Humans are descended from ancestors shared by all other living organisms.
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The primary role of natural selection in evolution was supported by the discovery of the
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role of individual genes in inheritance
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Of the following structures, which is homologous to the wing of a bat?
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the flipper of a whale
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Radiometric dating indicates that Earth is approximately __years old?
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4.6 Billion
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Charles Darwin was influenced by three scientists of his time, Charles Lyell, Jean- Baptiste de Lamarck, and Georges Cuvier. What common theme from their work inspired Darwin's theory of evolution through natural selection?
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The world is not static; it is constantly changing.
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Darwin's studies of the finches he discovered on the Galapagos Islands
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provided a solid basis for Darwin to conceive one of the basic explanations of how natural selection worked
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Darwin was influenced by an essay on human population and food supply written by
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Thomas Malthus.
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Darwin collected most of his data for the theory of evolution from
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the Galapagos Islands
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In formulating his ideas on natural selection, Darwin relied on information from what other scientific disciplines?
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human population dynamics
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Charles Darwin usually gets more credit for the theory of evolution than Alfred Russell Wallace because he thought of the idea first and published a mass of evidence in its support.
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TRUE
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What was one of the reasons that the principle of natural selection was slow to catch on?
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Nobody understood how traits could be reliably passed on through generations.
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Why do biologists consider evolution to be so essential to their field?
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All life on Earth has been shaped by evolution.
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Which of the following statements about evolution is true?
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Most evolutionary changes are often not directly observable because they occur over vast expanses of time.
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Which of the following is one of the overall ideas expressed by the theory of evolution?
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All living things have descended from a common ancestor.
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Which of the following is a component of Darwin's original theory of evolution?
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Organisms whose traits fit their environments will be the best reproducers.
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Even though Charles Darwin is noted for his contributions to science, he originally earned a university degree in _________.
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theology (divinity)
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Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck is well known because he promulgated the idea that _________.
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acquired characteristics could be passed on to succeeding generations
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What was the consensus on the origins of Earth's features in Darwin's time?
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The theory that the Earth was old and changed slowly over time was proposed but was not widely accepted.
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The idea that duck's feet became webbed by so much swimming would have fit in with _____'s theory of evolution
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Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck
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Which of the following was essential in shaping Darwin's theory of evolution?
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his voyage on the Beagle
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What is the main idea behind Darwin's theory of natural selection?
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Individuals with advantageous adaptations are more likely to reproduce more than those lacking the adaptations.
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If Darwin had not proposed natural selection as the engine of evolution, what would likely have happened to this theory?
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Alfred Russel Wallace would be recognized as the naturalist who first proposed evolution by natural selection.
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Before Darwin's theory of evolution was accepted, there was some doubt that natural selection would actually work. What was the main stumbling block in scientists' acceptance of natural selection?
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a misunderstanding of how traits were passed on to offspring
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To the scientist, a theory, such as the theory of evolution, means a general set of principles that ______.
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are supported by evidence
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The more _____ two species are related, the more _____ their DNA sequences will be.
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closely; different
