Biology · Science General

Evolution and Biological Adaptation

1,354 Questions

Evolution and biological adaptation focus on natural selection, speciation events, and how organisms adjust to environmental changes over time. These foundational biology concepts appear frequently in general science sections of civil services and school board examinations. Use these questions to study evolutionary theories, ancestral traits, and the fossil record.

Natural selection mechanismsSpeciation event examplesBiological adaptation traitsPanspermia hypothesis conceptsFossil record analysisMate selection theories

Evolution and Biological Adaptation Questions

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is correct about the distribution patterns of human traits around the world?

  1. They only change as a consequence of natural selection.

  2. They have been continuously changing during the last few centuries.

  3. They have remained indispensably, the same for the last few centuries.

  4. They only change as a consequence of genetic drift.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The distribution of human traits regularly varies through time. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the development of inexpensive intercontinental travel along with the creation of millions of refugees that has resulted in an acceleration of population mixing.

Multiple choice

Although this theory was known in the East to the ancient Vedanta philosophers, Buddhists and Greeks, still it has received a new impetus and grown with new strength since the introduction of the Darwinian theory of the evolution of species.

  1. the ancient Vedanta philosophers, Buddhists and Greeks, still it has received

  2. the ancient Vedanta philosophers, the Buddhists and the Greeks, it has received

  3. the ancient Vedanta philosophers, Buddhists and the Greeks, still it has received

  4. ancient Vedanta philosophers, the Buddhists and Greeks, it has received

  5. ancient Vedanta philosophers, Buddhists and Greeks, still it has received
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The sentence has error of coordinating conjunction and parallel construction. Although is followed by 'yet' (or no coordinate) and not by 'still'. Buddhists and Greeks should also take the definitive article 'the'. This option corrects the error of parallelism and coordinating conjunction. Thus, it is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

Koeppen’s scheme of classification is based on which of the following?

  1. Empirical

  2. Genetic

  3. Applied

  4. Systematic

  5. Geographical
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Empirical classification is based on observed data, particularly on temperature and precipitation. Koeppen used the empirical classification climate scheme that identified a close relationship between the distribution of vegetation and climate. He selected certain values of temperature and precipitation and related them to the distribution of vegetation and used these values for classifying the climates. It is an empirical classification based on mean annual and mean monthly temperature and precipitation data.

Multiple choice

What is revealed by ‘mother bird removing the eggshells’?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It is often believed that human behaviour is pre-determined by factors of nature, as some very prominent anthropologists and everyday people say. It is stated that political conservatives have sometimes favoured genetic explanations of behaviour and example of genetics would be a mother bird that removes the eggshells from the nest after the chicks have hatched. The mother bird does this because the outside of the eggshell is camouflaged and once hatched the inside is revealed which is not camouflaged. The broken eggshells will be seen by predators and will endanger the entire nest. Throwing out the broken pieces is an automatic response favoured by natural selection because birds that practice this behaviour have more surviving offspring.

  1. Genetics

  2. Natural calamity

  3. Protection of offspring

  4. Common practice
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

It is a genetic explanation of behaviour.

Multiple choice

What do you understand by the term ‘camouflaged’ in the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It is often believed that human behaviour is pre-determined by factors of nature, as some very prominent anthropologists and everyday people say. It is stated that political conservatives have sometimes favoured genetic explanations of behaviour and example of genetics would be a mother bird that removes the eggshells from the nest after the chicks have hatched. The mother bird does this because the outside of the eggshell is camouflaged and once hatched the inside is revealed which is not camouflaged. The broken eggshells will be seen by predators and will endanger the entire nest. Throwing out the broken pieces is an automatic response favoured by natural selection because birds that practice this behaviour have more surviving offspring.

  1. Stealth

  2. Revealed

  3. Secretive

  4. Concealed
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

'Camouflage' means 'to conceal'.

Multiple choice

What is the theme of the passage?

Directions: Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

It is often believed that human behaviour is pre-determined by factors of nature, as some very prominent anthropologists and everyday people say. It is stated that political conservatives have sometimes favoured genetic explanations of behaviour and example of genetics would be a mother bird that removes the eggshells from the nest after the chicks have hatched. The mother bird does this because the outside of the eggshell is camouflaged and once hatched the inside is revealed which is not camouflaged. The broken eggshells will be seen by predators and will endanger the entire nest. Throwing out the broken pieces is an automatic response favoured by natural selection because birds that practice this behaviour have more surviving offspring.

  1. Genes

  2. Nurture

  3. Nature

  4. Human behaviour
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The whole passage is about human behaviour.

Multiple choice

The population genetics emphasises on

  1. macroevolution

  2. microevolution

  3. creation science

  4. punctuated equilibrium
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Population genetics carry out research about microevolution, which is slight change in gene pool frequencies over just a few generations.  However, such small changes over many generations can result in the evolution of new species, or macroevolution.

Multiple choice

The evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms is called

  1. heredity

  2. phylogeny

  3. ontogeny

  4. genecology
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Phylogeny is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among organisms or groups of organisms. It traces the evolutionary development through time, showing how different species are related through common ancestors. Heredity deals with genetic transmission, ontogeny with individual development, and genecology with genetic adaptation to environment.

Multiple choice

T. duran was evolved from

  1. T. speltoids

  2. T. monococcum

  3. T. beoticum

  4. T. turgidum
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

T. durans evolved from T. turgidum. 

Multiple choice

Which one of the following phenomena supports Darwin's concept of natural selection in organic evolution?

  1. Production of 'Dolly', the sheep by cloning.

  2. Development of organs from 'stem cells' for organ transplantation.

  3. Development of transgenic animals

  4. Prevalence of pesticide resistant insects.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

 Prevalence of pesticide resistant insects supports Darwin's concept of natural selection in organic evolution.Natural selection is the preservation of a functional advantage that enables a species to compete better in the wild. Natural selection is the naturalistic equivalent to domestic breeding.

Multiple choice

There are two opposing views about origin of modern man. According to one view Homoerrectus in Asia were the ancestors of modern man. A study of variation of DNA however suggested African origin of modern man. What kind of observation on DNA variation could suggest this?

  1. Greater variation in Asia than in Africa.

  2. Similar variation in Africa and Asia.

  3. Variation only in Asia and no variation in Africa.

  4. Greater variation in Africa than in Asia.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 More the genetic (DNA) variationthe more is the age of Mankind.Therefore greater variation in Africa than in asia suggested African origin of modern man.