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Biomes/Descent with Modification



Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
 

1. 

A species is a group of similar organisms that
a.
can mate with one another and produce fertile offspring.
b.
can live together on an island.
c.
can migrate to an island from the mainland.
d.
all have exactly the same traits.
 

2. 

The gradual change in a species over time is called
a.
mutation.
b.
evolution.
c.
migration.
d.
variation.
 

3. 

A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce is called a(n)
a.
mutation.
b.
selection.
c.
adaptation.
d.
variation.
 

4. 

What did Darwin infer from his observations of organisms in South America and the Galapagos Islands?
a.
The organisms on the Galapagos Islands were virtually identical to mainland organisms.
b.
A small number of different plant and animal species had come to the mainland from the Galapagos Islands.
c.
The organisms on the Galapagos Islands were completely unrelated to mainland organisms.
d.
A small number of different plant and animal species had come to the Galapagos Islands from the mainland.
 

5. 

Which term refers to the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce?
a.
natural selection
b.
overproduction
c.
competition
d.
variation
 

6. 

Which term refers to a species creating more offspring than can possibly survive?
a.
natural selection
b.
overproduction
c.
evolution
d.
variation
 

7. 

Differences between members of the same species are called
a.
predators.
b.
selections.
c.
traits.
d.
variations.
 

8. 

How does natural selection lead to evolution?
a.
Stronger offspring kill weaker members of the species.
b.
Helpful traits accumulate among surviving members of the species.
c.
Overproduction provides food for stronger members of the species.
d.
Environmental changes kill weaker members of the species.
 

9. 

What is the role of genes in evolution?
a.
Only genes can be acted on by natural selection.
b.
Parents with recessive genes die from overproduction.
c.
The genes of most surviving parents have only dominant alleles.
d.
Only traits that are controlled by genes can be acted on by natural selection.
 

10. 

Which of these illustrates the impact of continental drift on the formation of new species?
a.
Marsupial mammals adapt better in North America than in Australia.
b.
Most mammals in Australia are marsupials, but few marsupials exist on other continents.
c.
Australia has fewer marsupials than South America.
d.
Placental mammals live mainly in Australia.
 

11. 

What theory proposes that evolution occurs steadily in tiny changes over long periods of time?
a.
gradualism
b.
relative dating
c.
natural selection
d.
punctuated equilibria
 

12. 

What theory proposes that species evolve during short periods of rapid change?
a.
gradualism
b.
evolution
c.
absolute dating
d.
punctuated equilibria
 

13. 

Why do scientists think related species have similar body structures and development patterns?
a.
The species inherited many of the same genes from one another.
b.
The species inherited many of the same proteins from a common ancestor.
c.
The species inherited all of the same genes from a common ancestor.
d.
The species inherited many of the same genes from a common ancestor.
 

14. 

An organism that can make its own food is called a
a.
consumer.
b.
decomposer.
c.
producer.
d.
scavenger.
 

15. 

Consumers that eat both plants and animals are called
a.
omnivores.
b.
herbivores.
c.
carnivores.
d.
scavengers.
 

16. 

Which of these consumers is an herbivore?
a.
lion
b.
deer
c.
spider
d.
snake
 

17. 

Vultures, which feed on the bodies of dead organisms, are
a.
first-level consumers.
b.
scavengers.
c.
producers.
d.
herbivores.
 

18. 

The first organism in a food chain is always a(n)
a.
consumer.
b.
herbivore.
c.
carnivore.
d.
producer.
 

19. 

If a kestrel eats a mouse that eats grass, the kestrel is a(n)
a.
producer.
b.
second-level consumer.
c.
first-level consumer.
d.
decomposer.
 

20. 

The many overlapping food chains in an ecosystem make up a(n)
a.
food web.
b.
niche.
c.
energy pyramid.
d.
feeding level.
 

21. 

In an energy pyramid, which level has the most available energy?
a.
producer level
b.
first-level consumer level
c.
second-level consumer level
d.
third-level consumer level
 

22. 

A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms is called a(n)
a.
energy pyramid.
b.
climate.
c.
biome.
d.
food web.
 

23. 

Which land biome receives less than 25 centimeters of rain per year?
a.
desert
b.
grassland
c.
temperate rain forest
d.
tropical rain forest
 

24. 

Which land biome is extremely cold and dry?
a.
desert
b.
tundra
c.
grassland
d.
mountains
 

25. 

Ponds and rivers are two types of
a.
marine biomes.
b.
rain forest biomes.
c.
freshwater biomes.
d.
estuary biomes.
 

26. 

Which biome is found where the fresh water of a river meets the salt water of the ocean?
a.
estuary
b.
neritic zone
c.
surface zone
d.
rocky intertidal zone
 

Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
 

27. 

Organisms can mate and produce fertile offspring only within their own ____________________.
 

 

28. 

An inherited characteristic that improves the chance for an organism to survive and reproduce is a(n) ____________________.
 

 

29. 

In the process of ____________________, the organisms that are best suited to their environments are most likely to survive.
 

 

30. 

Natural selection is affected by ____________________, or traits that are different in members of the same species.
 

 

31. 

The only traits that can be acted upon by natural selection are those that are controlled by ____________________.
 

 

32. 

The theory of ____________________ states that species evolve quickly over a short time.
 

 

33. 

Similarities in the early development of turtles and rats suggest that these animals share a common ____________________.
 

 

34. 

The energy role of a grizzly bear is that of a(n) ____________________ because it cannot make its own food.
 

 

35. 

A diagram called a(n) ____________________ shows how much energy is available at each level of a food web.
 

 



 
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