Ontario Virtual School - GRADE 11 Biology

Evolution Practice Unit Test

Part A: Knowledge and Understanding (20 marks)

Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. During his voyage on the HMS Beagle, Charles Darwin made many observations
a. in England. c. in South America.
b. in North America. d. in Asia.

____ 2. Charles Darwin’s observation that finches of different species on the Galapagos Islands have many
similar physical characteristics supports the hypothesis that these finch species.
a. have grown larger since Darwin’s visit. c. all eat the same type of food.
b. acquired traits through use and disuse. d. originated from a common ancestor.

____ 3. Which of the following statements describe what all members of a population share?
a. They are behaviourally isolated from each other.
b. They are geographically isolated from each other.
c. They are members of the same species.
d. They have identical genes.

____ 4. Examples of fossils include preserved

a. eggs. c. body parts.
b. footprints. d. all of the above

____ 5. Before Darwin's theories about evolution, what was a common belief about the natural world?
a. Species did not change over time, and were the same as they always had been.
b. Earth was less than 1000 years old, and species did not ever change.
c. Organisms continuously evolved.
d. Earth changed continuously.

____ 6. James Hutton was one of the first scientists to challenge theories about the age of Earth. What
was his primary area of study?
a. biology c. geology
b. archeology d. genetics

____ 7. What is the term for an inherited characteristic that improves an organism’s ability to survive and
reproduce in a particular environment?
a. a hypothesis c. an adaptation
b. a theory d. an extinction
____ 8. Which of the following was not one of the patterns of diversity that Darwin noted on his famous
voyage?
a. species varied globally c. species varied over time
b. species varied locally d. species varied over their lifetime

____ 9. Which pattern of diversity did Darwin recognize when visiting the Galapagos Islands?
a. species varied globally c. species varied over time
b. species varied locally d. species varied over their lifetime

____ [Link] species of finches that Charles Darwin found on the Galapagos Islands displayed different
structural adaptations. One of the adaptations that Darwin noted was the
a. similarities of the birds’ embryos. c. length of the birds’ necks.
b. birds’ different-shaped beaks. d. number of eggs in each bird’s nest.

____ 11. The number and location of bones of many fossil vertebrates are similar to those in living
vertebrates. Most biologists would probably explain this fact on the basis of
a. the needs of the organisms. c. the struggle for existence.
b. a common ancestor. d. the inheritance of acquired traits.

____ 12. When lions prey on a herd of antelopes, some antelopes are killed and some escape and live to
reproduce. Which best describes this situation?
a. An individual passes along acquired characteristics to the next generation.
b. Natural selection is a random process.
c. Individuals that survive best tend to leave the most offspring.
d. Species remain unchanged throughout time.

____ 13. In biology, fitness is the ability of the individual to

a. live to reproductive age.
b. contribute to the gene pool of the next generation.
c. adapt to environmental conditions.
d. acquire new characteristics.

____ 14. Darwin’s theory of evolution is based on the idea(s) of

a. variation and natural selection.
b. use and disuse.
c. a tendency toward perfect, unchanging species.
d. the transmission of acquired characteristics.

____ 15. When farmers select animals or plants to use for breeding, they look for
a. species that are perfect and unchanging.
b. homologous structures.
c. traits that are produced artificially.
d. inherited traits that are of value to humans.
____ 16. What is the name of Darwin's book in which he presented his writings on species evolving over
time and the process of natural selection?
a. The Beagle has Landed c. Principles of Geology
b. The Evolution of Populations d. The Origin of Species

____ 17. What did Darwin propose was the mechanism for evolution?
a. natural selection c. the fossil record
b. descent with modification d. acquired characteristics

____ 18. Which of the following is not one of the three key observations that Darwin used to develop his
theory of natural selection?
a. changes in DNA c. the role of the environment
b. the struggle for existence d. variation among members of a species

____ 19. Which of Darwin's key observations can be explained by genetic diversity?
a. the fossil record c. the role of the environment
b. the struggle for existence d. variation among members of a species

____ 20. How did Lamarck explain adaptations, such as the giraffe’s long neck?
a. the fossil record c. using or not using certain body parts
b. descent with modification d. genetic variation
Part B: Thinking and Investigation (10 marks)

1. a) Compare the structural similarities between a bat’s wing, a human’s arm and a whale’s flipper. ✔✔

b) How is the limb in each of the cases above structurally modified to perform its function? ✔✔

2. Explain why speciation would more likely occur on islands further from a mainland, such as the
Galapagos islands, than an island close to the mainland like PEI. ✔✔

3. Some people believe that because a new influenza vaccine is needed each year, there is no point in
getting vaccinated.

a) Discuss some of the advantages in getting vaccinated each year✔✔

b) Discuss some of the disadvantages in getting vaccinated each year✔✔

c) Why should governments keep investing money to develop a new flu vaccine each year? ✔✔
Part C: Communication (10 marks)

1. Explain what three activities in your life do you think might affect the evolution of other
species. ✔✔✔

2. Do you think it is ethical to create hybrids of two species? Explain. ✔✔

3. Does evolution make organisms ‘better’? Justify your answer. ✔✔

4. Describe three ways modern medicine has affected the evolution of disease. ✔✔✔
Part D: Application (10 marks)

1. A) Using an example, explain what Darwin meant by descent with modification? ✔✔

B) How would Lamarck explain this same example as you used above? ✔✔

2. Do you think that protecting endangered species is interfering with natural selection? Support your
position. ✔✔✔

3. Explain how the study of evolution help us understand the following…

A) Pesticide resistance in crops ✔

B) High frequencies of Huntington’s disease among Afrikaners ✔

C) Diversity of tortoise species on the Galapagos Islands. ✔