Evolutionary Biology of animals MCQs January 8, 2026March 13, 2024 by u930973931_answers 20 min Score: 0 Attempted: 0/20 Subscribe 1. Which scientist is credited with proposing the theory of natural selection? (A) Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (B) Gregor Mendel (C) Alfred Russel Wallace (D) Charles Darwin 2. The process by which organisms develop adaptations to better suit their environment is known as: (A) Speciation (B) Adaptive radiation (C) Convergent evolution (D) Natural selection 3. Which of the following is NOT considered evidence for evolution? (A) Fossil records (B) Comparative anatomy (C) Geographic distribution of species (D) Mendelian genetics 4. Analogous structures in different species: (A) Share a common evolutionary origin (B) Are vestigial structures (C) Perform different functions but have a common evolutionary origin (D) Perform similar functions but have different evolutionary origins 5. The study of the embryonic development of organisms as evidence for evolution is called: (A) Ontogeny (B) Embryology (C) Phylogeny (D) Morphology 6. The wings of birds and the wings of bats are an example of: (A) Homologous structures (B) Vestigial structures (C) Analogous structures (D) Convergent evolution 7. Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution? (A) The forelimbs of mammals (B) The eyes of vertebrates and cephalopods (C) The wings of birds and insects (D) The beaks of finches in the Galapagos Islands 8. The process by which two or more species evolve adaptations in response to each other is known as: (A) Coevolution (B) Convergent evolution (C) Adaptive radiation (D) Speciation 9. The study of the distribution of organisms and their geographic ranges is known as: (A) Biogeography (B) Paleontology (C) Phylogenetics (D) Comparative anatomy 10. The development of similar physical characteristics in unrelated organisms due to similar environmental pressures is called: (A) Homology (B) Parallel evolution (C) Divergent evolution (D) Adaptive radiation 11. Which of the following is an example of artificial selection? (A) Development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria (B) Camouflage in prey species (C) Breeding programs for purebred dogs (D) Mimicry in butterflies 12. The forelimbs of a human, cat, whale, and bat all contain the same basic skeletal elements, suggesting: (A) Convergent evolution (B) Analogous structures (C) Homologous structures (D) Vestigial structures 13. The study of the relationship between the structure and function of living organisms is known as: (A) Physiology (B) Morphology (C) Anatomy (D) Ethology 14. Adaptive radiation occurs when: (A) A population remains relatively unchanged over time (B) Two species converge to fill the same ecological niche (C) A single species diversifies into several different forms (D) Species become extinct due to environmental pressures 15. Lamarck’s theory of evolution proposed that: (A) Traits acquired during an organism's lifetime can be passed on to offspring (B) Evolution occurs through natural selection (C) Evolution is driven by random mutations (D) Organisms evolve according to their needs 16. The process of natural selection acts on: (A) Populations (B) Individuals (C) Species (D) Communities 17. A population of birds with different beak sizes evolving in response to different food sources is an example of: (A) Disruptive selection (B) Directional selection (C) Stabilizing selection (D) Artificial selection 18. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure in humans? (A) Heart (B) Lungs (C) Appendix (D) Brain 19. The study of the evolutionary history of species and the relationships between them is known as: (A) Phylogenetics (B) Ecology (C) Ontogeny (D) Taxonomy 20. Molecular biology provides evidence for evolution through the study of: (A) Fossil records (B) Morphological traits (C) DNA sequences (D) Comparative anatomy