Evolution MCQ Class 12

C. 20 billion years old. The universe is estimated to be around 20 billion years old.

A. The Big Bang theory. The Big Bang theory attempts to explain the origin of the universe.

A. Oxygen. There was no free oxygen in the early atmosphere.

D. All of the above. All of the above processes contributed to the formation of oceans.

A. 500 million years. Life appeared 500 million years after Earth’s formation.

A. Panspermia. Panspermia is the theory that life came from outer space.

B. Louis Pasteur. Louis Pasteur disproved the theory of spontaneous generation.

A. It came from pre-existing non-living organic molecules. Oparin and Haldane proposed that the first form of life came from pre-existing non-living organic molecules.

B. Organic molecules could be formed from inorganic molecules. The Miller-Urey experiment demonstrated that organic molecules could be formed from inorganic molecules.

D. Giant molecules. The first non-cellular forms of life were likely giant molecules.

B. 2 billion years ago. The first cellular form of life probably originated around 2 billion years ago.

C. Biogenesis. Biogenesis, the idea that life arose from non-living molecules through evolutionary forces, is widely accepted.

A. 4.5 billion years. Earth is estimated to be about 4.5 billion years old.

A. Rain. Rain filled the depressions on the early Earth to form oceans.

A. It broke down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. UV radiation broke down water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

A. It simulated the conditions of early Earth to show how organic molecules could form. The Miller-Urey experiment simulated the conditions of early Earth to show how organic molecules could form.

C. Cellular life forms have a membrane-bound structure, while non-cellular life forms do not. Cellular life forms have a membrane-bound structure, while non-cellular life forms do not.

B. It suggests that similar chemical processes are occurring elsewhere in space. The presence of organic compounds in meteorites suggests that similar chemical processes are occurring elsewhere in space.

B. It has remained the same since creation. The theory of special creation suggests that the diversity of life has remained the same since creation.

A. HMS Beagle. Charles Darwin sailed on the HMS Beagle.

A. They share similarities to varying degrees. Darwin concluded that existing living forms share similarities to varying degrees.

C. The ability to produce fertile offspring. Reproductive fitness refers to the ability to produce fertile offspring.

A. Alfred Wallace. Alfred Wallace also independently conceived the theory of natural selection.

C. It is billions of years old. Darwin proposed that the Earth is billions of years old.

B. The process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce. Natural selection is the process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce.

A. Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution. Natural selection is a mechanism of evolution.

B. Evolution happens slowly over time. Gradual evolution proposes that evolution happens slowly over time.

B. An organism from which two or more different species evolved. A common ancestor is an organism from which two or more different species evolved.

A. They are closely correlated. The geological history of Earth is closely correlated with the biological history of Earth.

D. All of the above. All of the above challenged the theory of special creation.

B. Variations are the raw material for natural selection. Darwin suggested that variations within populations are the raw material for natural selection.

B. Extinctions provide opportunities for new life forms to arise. Extinctions provide opportunities for new life forms to arise.

B. Environmental conditions determine which traits are favorable. Environmental conditions determine which traits are favorable in natural selection.

C. Reproductive success. Reproductive success is the ultimate measure of fitness according to Darwin.

B. Remains of hard parts of life-forms found in rocks. Fossils are the remains of hard parts of life-forms found in rocks.

C. The arrangement of sediments one over the other during the long history of Earth. A cross-section of Earth’s crust indicates the arrangement of sediments one over the other during the long history of Earth.

A. Evidence from the study of fossils. Paleontological evidence refers to the evidence from the study of fossils.

B. Radioactive dating. Radioactive dating is used to calculate the ages of fossils.

B. Ernst Haeckel. Embryological support for evolution was proposed by Ernst Haeckel.

B. Embryos never pass through the adult stages of other animals. Karl Ernst von Baer disapproved Haeckel’s proposal because embryos never pass through the adult stages of other animals.

A. The study of the structure of organisms. Comparative anatomy and morphology studies the similarities and differences among organisms of today and those that existed years ago.

B. Structures that have different functions but similar anatomical structures. Homologous structures have different functions but similar anatomical structures.

A. Structures that have similar functions but different anatomical structures. Analogous structures have similar functions but different anatomical structures.

B. It provides clues to common ancestry. Similarities in proteins and genes among diverse organisms provide clues to common ancestry.

A. The process by which humans selectively breed organisms for desirable traits. Artificial selection is the process by which humans selectively breed organisms for desirable traits.

D. All of the above. Industrial melanism refers to all of the above phenomena.

D. All of the above. The peppered moth case is significant for all of the above reasons.

C. Evolution caused by human activities. Evolution by anthropogenic action refers to evolution caused by human activities.

B. Stochastic. Evolution is a stochastic process, meaning it is based on chance events and mutations.

B. They have varied over time and are sometimes restricted to certain geological time-spans. The study of fossils shows that life forms have varied over time and that certain life forms are restricted to certain geological time-spans.

C. It was thought to be extinct, but its discovery provided evidence for the evolutionary history of amphibians. The Coelacanth was thought to be extinct, but its discovery provided evidence for the evolutionary history of amphibians.

D. They are viviparous. Mammals are viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young.

C. A combination of factors including climatic changes. While an asteroid impact is a prominent theory, the truth about dinosaur extinction might be a combination of factors, including climatic changes.

A. It shows a trend of increasing brain size in hominid evolution. The brain capacity of Homo habilis, between 650-800cc, supports the trend of increasing brain size observed in hominid evolution.

B. Evolution can be accelerated by human activities like excessive use of herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotics. Evolution can be accelerated by human activities like excessive use of herbicides, pesticides, and antibiotics.

D. All of the above. All of the above factors contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

A. The evolution of different species in a given geographical area, starting from a point and radiating to other areas of geography (habitats). Adaptive radiation is the evolution of different species in a given geographical area, starting from a point and radiating to other areas of geography (habitats).

C. They represent one of the best examples of adaptive radiation. Darwin’s finches represent one of the best examples of adaptive radiation.

A. The Australian marsupials. The Australian marsupials are another example of adaptive radiation.

A. When two or more species evolve similar traits in response to similar environments. Convergent evolution is when two or more species evolve similar traits in response to similar environments.

B. Convergent evolution is a type of adaptive radiation. Convergent evolution is a type of adaptive radiation that occurs when more than one adaptive radiation appears to have occurred in an isolated geographical area.

B. Australian marsupials and placental mammals. Australian marsupials and placental mammals are the best example of convergent evolution in the context of adaptive radiation.

C. It shows that they have evolved in response to different environments. The fact that the marsupials of Australia are each different from the other shows that they have evolved in response to different environments.

B. They have evolved similar traits in response to similar environments. The placental mammals of Australia and the marsupials of Australia have evolved similar traits in response to similar environments.

B. It indicates that the species are spreading out from a central point. The term ‘radiating’ indicates that the species are spreading out from a central point.

A. The availability of resources. The availability of different resources drives the evolution of different species in adaptive radiation.

C. 2 billion years ago. The first cellular forms of life appeared on Earth about 2 billion years ago.

A. Natural selection. Natural selection is the key process that drives biological evolution.

D. All of the above. Heritable characteristics are important for all of the above reasons.

D. All of the above. All of the above factors contribute to the genetic basis of evolution.

B. Branching descent and natural selection. The two key concepts of Darwinian Theory of Evolution are branching descent and natural selection.

B. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck proposed the theory of evolution driven by use and disuse of organs.

D. All of the above. Lamarck’s theory is no longer accepted for all of the above reasons.

B. Natural selection is a process, and evolution is the result of that process. Natural selection is a process, and evolution is the result of that process.

B. Natural selection determines which traits are favorable. Natural selection determines which traits are favorable and allows organisms with those traits to survive and reproduce.

D. All of the above. The fact that natural resources are limited is significant for all of the above reasons.

B. Variation provides the raw material for natural selection. Variation provides the raw material for natural selection.

D. All of the above. All of the above are potential outcomes of natural selection.

A. All living organisms share a common ancestor. Branching descent proposes that all living organisms share a common ancestor.

B. Mutation. Mutations are the primary source of variation in a population.

A. The process by which new species arise. Speciation is the process by which new species arise.

A. Darwinian variations are small and directional, while mutations are random and directionless. Darwinian variations are small and directional, while mutations are random and directionless.

C. The process of speciation caused by mutations. Saltation is the process of speciation caused by mutations.

C. A principle that states that allele frequencies in a population are stable and constant from generation to generation. The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that allele frequencies in a population are stable and constant from generation to generation.

A. The state in which allele frequencies in a population are stable and constant. Genetic equilibrium is the state in which allele frequencies in a population are stable and constant.

C. 1. The sum total of all allelic frequencies in a population is 1.

B. The population is evolving. If the frequency of alleles in a population differs from the expected values, it indicates that the population is evolving.

D. All of the above. All of the above factors can affect Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium.

A. The movement of genes from one population to another. Gene flow is the movement of genes from one population to another.

B. The random change in allele frequencies in a population. Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies in a population.

A. The change in allele frequencies due to the migration of a small group of individuals from a larger population. The founder effect is the change in allele frequencies due to the migration of a small group of individuals from a larger population.

A. Single-celled. The first forms of life on Earth were single-celled.

A. The evolution of photosynthesis. The evolution of photosynthesis led to the evolution of aerobic respiration.

D. All of the above. The evolution of photosynthesis is significant for all of the above reasons.

A. Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus. Dryopithecus and Ramapithecus are considered to be the ancestors of humans.

A. 15 million years ago. Dryopithecus is estimated to have lived about 15 million years ago.

C. They suggest that Ramapithecus was more man-like than Dryopithecus. The discovery of Ramapithecus fossils suggests that it was more man-like than Dryopithecus.

A. The ancestors of humans. Hominids are the ancestors of humans.

D. All of the above. The increasing brain capacity in hominid evolution is significant for all of the above reasons.

C. Homo sapiens. The scientific name for modern humans is Homo sapiens.