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 zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which is not a concept of Lamarckism ?

  1. Rate and survival of organisms are different due to variations

  2. Environmental pressure produces variations

  3. An organ in constant use will grow in size

  4. Inheritance of acquired characters
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarckism focuses on use/disuse and inheritance of acquired characters. The idea that survival is based on variations is a core concept of Darwinism (natural selection), not Lamarckism.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which is not Lamarckian concept?

  1. Environmental pressure causes variations.

  2. Rate of survival of organisms is different due to variations.

  3. Inheritance of acquired characters.

  4. If an organ is used constantly, it will continuously increase its size.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to the Lamarckian concept :

  • According to the theory of inheritance, the characters acquired in a lifetime are transferred to the next generation.
  • According to this theory of use and disuse, the organs used most develops most and organs which are left idle reduces in size and function.
  • Lamarckism did not put variations under consideration being responsible for the rate of survival of organisms.
So, the correct option is 'Rate of survival of organisms is different due to variations'.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Write in one sentence the main idea in Lamarck's theory about evolution.

  1. Inheritance of acquired characteristics

  2. Inheritance of phenotypic characteristics

  3. Survival of fittest

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarck is best known for his theory of Inheritance of acquired characteristics, which states that if an organism changes during life in order to adapt to its environment, those changes are passed on to its offspring. It said that change is made by what the organisms wants or needs. He used it to explain the long necks of giraffes, long trunks of elephants and vestigeality of the appendix. 

So, the correct option is 'Inheritance of acquired characteristics'.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

The term for Lamarck's theory is

  1. Soft inheritance

  2. Speciation

  3. Natural selection

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarck's second law, the theory of inheritance of acquired characters, also called as soft inheritance states that modifications which the organism acquires in adaptation to the environments which it meets during its lifetime are automatically handed down to its descendants, and so become part of heredity. 

So, the correct option is 'Soft inheritance'.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which of the following differences between Lamarckism and Darwinism is incorrect?

  1. It does not consider struggle for existence, Struggle for existence is very important in this theory

  2. Only useful variations are transferred to the next generation, All the acquired characters are inherited to the next generation

  3. Neglect survival of fittest, Based on survival of the fittest

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

According to Lamarckism, all the acquired characters are inherited to the next generations. According to Darwinism only useful variation are transferred to the next generation.

So, the correct answer is 'only useful variations are transferred to the next generation, All the acquired characters are inherited to the next generation'

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which of the following explained evolution in most acceptable form?

  1. Lamarck, Darwin, Hugo de Vries

  2. Anaximander, Darwin, Malthus

  3. F. Redi, Richter, Cuvier

  4. Lamarck, Hardy Weinberg, Darwin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The modern synthesis of evolution combines Darwin's natural selection, Lamarck's early observations (though modified), and Hugo de Vries's mutation theory, providing the most comprehensive framework.

Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Key point of Lamarck's view about organic evolution is that every offspring 

  1. Is similar to its parent.

  2. Inherits characters acquired by the parental generation.

  3. Shows struggle for existence.

  4. Repeats phylogeny in its ontogeny.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
According to Lamarck's theory of inheritance of acquired characters, the skills or morphological changes acquired by an organism during its lifetime will be passed on to the next generation.
So, the correct answer is'Inherits characters acquired by the parental generation'
Multiple choice zoology evolution of life darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given.
Lamarck believed that certain parts of the body became more complex through the generations because they

  1. are most similar to Gods perfection

  2. contribute to greater reproductive success

  3. are predetermined to do so

  4. are used more extensively than other parts
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Lamarck believed that evolution occurs when an organism uses a body part in such a way that it is altered during its lifetime and this change is then inherited by its offspring. For example, Lamarck thought that giraffes evolved their long neck s by each generation stretching further to get leaves. This theory was called the Use and Disuse of Organs.

Hence, the correct answer is 'are used more extensively that other parts'

Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

According to the neo-Darwinian theory, which of the following is responsible for the origin of new species?

  1. Mutations

  2. Useful variations

  3. Mutations together with natural selection

  4. Hybridization
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

According to the Neo-Darwinian theory, mutations together with natural selection results in origin of new species.

Neo-Darwinism is the "modern synthesis" of Darwinian evolution through natural selection with Mendelian genetics, the latter being a set of primary tenets specifying that evolution involves the transmission of characteristics from parent to child through the mechanism of genetic transfer, rather than the "blending process" of pre-Mendelian evolutionary science. Neo-Darwinism can also designate Charles Darwin's ideas of natural selection separated from his hypothesis of Pangenesis as a Lamarckian source of variation involving blending inheritance.

Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which of the following is the evidence for Darwin's theory of common descent?

  1. There are patterns in the fossil record that suggest other species have diverged from a single ancestor species.

  2. There are biogeographic patterns in the distribution of species, for instance distinct bird species on an island tend to resemble one another, suggesting a common ancestor.

  3. There are common stages in the early embryological development of organisms representing several distinct vertebrate groups.

  4. All of above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Darwin's theory of common descent is supported by evidence from the fossil record, biogeography, and comparative embryology, all of which indicate shared ancestry.

Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which of the following is responsible for evolution according to Neo-darwinism?

  1. Mutation

  2. Natural selection

  3. Adaptive radiation

  4. Both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Natural selection is the core creative agent in evolution, mutations, variations, are also factors leading to the development of new species. Organisms more suited to the environmental conditions will survive empowering the forces of competition. The organism with beneficial mutations, stronger genotype will be the fittest and will survive. After successive generations, all the stronger gene pool leads to an evolution of new species.

Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Neo-Darwinism believes that new species develop through

  1. Continuous variations and natural selection

  2. Mutation with natural selection

  3. Hybridization

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

Neo-Darwinism is a modification of the original theory of Darwin to remove its shortcomings. Instead of continous variations, mutations are believed to help form new species. Variations accumulate in the gene pool and not in the individuals. 

Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Which of the following can be said as the "Theory of Darwin"

  1. Survival of the fittest and struggle for existence

  2. Weak and strong always maintain a fixed proportion

  3. Different species do not arise by genetic mutation

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Darwin believed that life thrives and multiplies by the principle of natural selection.
The theory of natural selection had the following postulates: 

1) Increased reproduction- He said that each and every organism or species tend to reproduce to the maximum to let its species live and multiply. 
2) The arithmetic growth of food and availability of space.
3) Survival of the fittest- Darwin’s theory of natural selection thus believes that those who can survive till the end are the ones that nature selects.
4) Variations- Due to this struggle for food and space, each organism or species tend to get an advantage over the other.
5) Struggle for existence - with a rapidly multiplying population, there is an increased demand for both space and food. The organism or species that is able to fight its own species or the other species or the environment itself lives. 

So option A is the correct answer and B and  C are not related to the Theory of darwin.
Multiple choice zoology universe and organic evolution darwin's theory of evolution process of evolution lamarckism

Why, according to our reading, did Darwin take so long to publish the Origin of Species?

  1. Darwin wanted to share his theory as quickly as possible once he returned from his voyage on the Beagle.

  2. It took twenty years for Darwin to develop a theory.

  3. Darwin suffered from a number of illnesses.

  4. Darwin was concerned about the reaction of others to the implications of his theory.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Darwin delayed publishing 'On the Origin of Species' for many years because he was acutely aware of the controversial nature of his theory and the potential social and religious backlash.