Q1. What is the primary mechanism driving the process of evolution?
a) Genetic drift
b) Mutation
c) Natural selection
d) Gene flow
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Correct Answer: c) Natural selection
Explanation: Natural selection is the mechanism proposed by Charles Darwin as the primary driver of evolution. It acts on heritable traits within a population, favoring individuals with advantageous traits that increase their chances of survival and reproduction.
Q2. Who is credited with independently developing the theory of evolution by natural selection alongside Charles Darwin?
a) Gregor Mendel
b) Alfred Russel Wallace
c) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
d) Thomas Malthus
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Correct Answer: b) Alfred Russel Wallace
Explanation: Alfred Russel Wallace, a contemporary of Charles Darwin, independently arrived at the theory of evolution by natural selection. His work, along with Darwin’s, prompted the joint publication of their findings in 1858.
Q3. Which term describes the gradual change in a population’s genetic makeup over time?
a) Microevolution
b) Macroevolution
c) Adaptive radiation
d) Punctuated equilibrium
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Correct Answer: a) Microevolution
Explanation: Microevolution refers to the small-scale changes in allele frequencies and traits within a population over successive generations. These changes are driven by processes such as natural selection, genetic drift, mutation, and gene flow.
Q4. What type of selection favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes and acts against extreme phenotypes?
a) Stabilizing selection
b) Directional selection
c) Disruptive selection
d) Balancing selection
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Correct Answer: a) Stabilizing selection
Explanation: Stabilizing selection is a type of natural selection that favors individuals with intermediate phenotypes, reducing genetic variation in a population. This occurs when environmental conditions remain relatively constant over time.
Q5. Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
a) Wings of bats and wings of birds
b) Flippers of whales and flippers of penguins
c) Eyes of octopuses and eyes of vertebrates
d) Thorns of a cactus and spines of a rose bush
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Correct Answer: b) Flippers of whales and flippers of penguins
Explanation: Convergent evolution refers to the independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated species due to similar environmental pressures. The flippers of whales and flippers of penguins are examples of convergent evolution as both species adapted to aquatic environments.
Q6. What process occurs when a small population becomes isolated from the main population, leading to a loss of genetic diversity?
a) Founder effect
b) Bottleneck effect
c) Gene flow
d) Mutation drift
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Correct Answer: a) Founder effect
Explanation: The founder effect occurs when a small group of individuals becomes isolated from the main population, leading to a new population with reduced genetic diversity compared to the original population.
Q7. Which type of evolution involves the rapid diversification of ancestral species into new ecological niches?
a) Convergent evolution
b) Divergent evolution
c) Adaptive radiation
d) Coevolution
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Correct Answer: c) Adaptive radiation
Explanation: Adaptive radiation is the process by which a single ancestral species diversifies into several different species, each adapted to different ecological niches or environments. This often occurs when organisms colonize new habitats with diverse ecological opportunities.
Q8. Lamarck’s theory of evolution proposed that acquired traits could be passed on to offspring. What is this concept called?
a) Genetic drift
b) Punctuated equilibrium
c) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
d) Allele frequency
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Correct Answer: c) Inheritance of acquired characteristics
Explanation: Lamarck’s theory of evolution, known as the inheritance of acquired characteristics, suggested that organisms could acquire traits during their lifetime and pass them on to their offspring. However, this concept has been largely discredited by modern biology.
Q9. Which process results in the exchange of genetic material between different populations, leading to increased genetic variation?
a) Mutation
b) Genetic drift
c) Gene flow
d) Recombination
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Correct Answer: c) Gene flow
Explanation: Gene flow is the movement of genes between different populations through the migration of individuals. It increases genetic variation within populations and can prevent speciation by maintaining genetic connectivity.
Q10. What term describes the formation of a new species due to geographic isolation?
a) Convergent evolution
b) Divergent evolution
c) Allopatric speciation
d) Sympatric speciation
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Correct Answer: c) Allopatric speciation
Explanation: Allopatric speciation occurs when a population becomes geographically isolated from the rest of its species, leading to reproductive isolation and the eventual formation of a new species through genetic divergence.