Natural Selection and Extinction

Multiple Choice

1. What is natural selection?

a. The process of organisms adapting to their environment over time.

b. The process of organisms mating and producing offspring.

c. The process of organisms becoming extinct.

d. The process of organisms evolving into completely different species.

2. Which of the following is an example of natural selection?

a. A human breeding a dog to create a new breed.

b. A bird with longer wings being able to catch more insects and survive better than a bird with shorter wings.

c. A plant producing more seeds because it receives more water and sunlight.

d. None of the above.

3. What is extinction?

a. The process of organisms adapting to their environment over time.

b. The process of organisms mating and producing offspring.

c. The process of organisms becoming extinct.

d. The process of organisms evolving into completely different species.

4. Which of the following can lead to extinction?

a. Climate change.

b. Habitat destruction.

c. Overhunting.

d. All of the above.

5. What is a mass extinction?

a. The process of a large group of organisms evolving into completely different species.

b. The process of a large group of organisms mating and producing offspring.

c. The process of a large group of organisms adapting to their environment over time.

d. The process of a large number of species becoming extinct in a relatively short period of time.

6. What is the most common cause of extinction today?

a. Climate change.

b. Habitat destruction.

c. Overhunting.

d. Disease.

7. Which of the following is NOT a way that humans can help prevent extinction?

a. Protecting and preserving habitats.

b. Capturing and breeding endangered species.

c. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

d. Hunting and harvesting species for food.

8. What is a keystone species?

a. A species that is at the top of the food chain.

b. A species that has a major impact on the ecosystem, despite being relatively low in abundance.

c. A species that is hunted and harvested for food.

d. A species that is extinct.

9. How can the loss of a keystone species impact an ecosystem?

a. It can cause a chain reaction that leads to the extinction of many other species in the ecosystem.

b. It can lead to overpopulation of other species in the ecosystem.

c. It has no impact on the ecosystem.

d. None of the above.

10. What is the difference between natural selection and artificial selection?

a. Natural selection is the process of organisms adapting to their environment over time, while artificial selection is the process of humans selecting and breeding organisms for certain traits.

b. Natural selection is the process of humans selecting and breeding organisms for certain traits, while artificial selection is the process of organisms adapting to their environment over time.

c. There is no difference between natural selection and artificial selection.

d. Both natural and artificial selection involve organisms adapting to their environment over time.

Fill in the Blank

1. Natural selection is the process by which individuals that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to __________ and reproduce.
   
2. The process by which a species gradually changes over time is called __________.
   
3. A __________ is a characteristic that helps an organism survive in its environment.
   
4. Extinction occurs when a species __________.
5. The theory of natural selection was proposed by __________.
   

Short Answer

1. What is natural selection and how does it work?
   
2. Describe an example of natural selection in action.
   
3. How do mutations contribute to natural selection?
   
4. What is extinction and what are some of the causes of extinction?
   
5. How does the study of fossils contribute to our understanding of natural selection and extinction?
   
6. What is the role of humans in causing extinction, and what can be done to prevent it?
   
7. Discuss the concept of keystone species and their importance in ecosystems.
   
8. How does the loss of biodiversity impact ecosystems and human well-being?
   

Answers

Multiple Choice

1. a
2. b
3. c
4. d
5. d
6. b
7. d
8. b
9. a
10. a

Fill in the Blank

1. Survive
2. Evolution
3. Adaptation
4. Completely dies out
5. Charles Darwin