Page 1 of 33
BIOL180 – PRACTICE EXAM 6: EVOLUTION AND NATURAL
SELECTION 2026/2027 COMPLETE CURRENT TESTING
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES.
BIOL
Prepare for the BIOL180 Practice Exam 6 – Evolution and Natural Selection with this
focused study resource designed to reinforce essential evolutionary biology concepts.
Use it to review natural selection, adaptation, evolutionary change, variation,
inheritance, and mechanisms that influence populations over time. This resource can
help strengthen your understanding, identify areas that may require additional study,
and improve your exam readiness. It provides a structured supplement to your
coursework and supports a more confident approach to the BIOL180 assessment.
MULTIPLE CHOICE.
Section 1: Foundations of Evolution (Q1–Q15)
1. Which of the following best defines biological evolution?
A. Change in an individual organism during its lifetime
B. Change in allele frequencies in a population over generations
C. A random mutation in a single gene
D. The belief that organisms do not change over time
Answer: B
Rationale: Biological evolution is defined as change in the genetic
composition of a population over generations, often measured as
changes in allele frequencies.
2. Which scientist is most closely associated with the theory of evolution
by natural selection?
A. Gregor Mendel
B. Charles Darwin
C. Louis Pasteur
D. Robert Hooke
, Page 2 of 33
Answer: B
Rationale: Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural
selection in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species.
3. Who independently developed a theory of natural selection similar to
Darwin's?
A. Alfred Russel Wallace
B. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
C. Georges Cuvier
D. Carolus Linnaeus
Answer: A
Rationale: Alfred Russel Wallace independently arrived at the idea of
natural selection, prompting Darwin to publish his work.
4. Which of the following is NOT a component of Darwin's theory of
natural selection?
A. Variation exists among individuals
B. Some variations are heritable
C. Organisms can inherit acquired traits
D. More offspring are produced than can survive
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin rejected Lamarck's idea of inheritance of acquired
characteristics. Natural selection acts on heritable variation.
5. Which term describes an inherited trait that increases an organism's
fitness in a particular environment?
A. Mutation
B. Adaptation
C. Homology
D. Analogy
Answer: B
Rationale: An adaptation is an inherited trait that enhances survival or
reproduction in a specific environment.
6. What does "fitness" mean in evolutionary biology?
A. Physical strength
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B. Lifespan
C. Reproductive success relative to others
D. Body size
Answer: C
Rationale: Fitness is measured by reproductive success—how many
offspring an individual produces relative to others in the population.
7. Which of the following is the ultimate source of new genetic variation?
A. Natural selection
B. Gene flow
C. Mutation
D. Genetic drift
Answer: C
Rationale: Mutation creates new alleles and is the ultimate source of all
genetic variation.
8. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure in humans?
A. Appendix
B. Heart
C. Liver
D. Lung
Answer: A
Rationale: The appendix is a vestigial structure that has lost most of its
original function over evolutionary time.
9. Homologous structures are evidence for:
A. Convergent evolution
B. Common ancestry
C. Random mutation
D. Genetic drift
Answer: B
Rationale: Homologous structures share a common ancestry even if they
have different functions.
, Page 4 of 33
10. Analogous structures are evidence for:
A. Common ancestry
B. Convergent evolution
C. Divergent evolution
D. Genetic drift
Answer: B
Rationale: Analogous structures have similar functions but different
origins, indicating convergent evolution.
11. Which of the following provides the strongest molecular evidence for
evolution?
A. Similarities in DNA and protein sequences among species
B. Similarities in behavior
C. Similarities in habitat
D. Similarities in body size
Answer: A
Rationale: DNA and protein sequence similarities reflect shared ancestry
and provide strong molecular evidence for evolution.
12. The fossil record provides evidence for evolution because it shows:
A. That species have changed over time
B. That species never change
C. That all species appeared at once
D. That extinction does not occur
Answer: A
Rationale: Fossils document changes in organisms over geological time
and show transitional forms.
13. Biogeography is the study of:
A. The geographic distribution of species
B. The chemical composition of organisms
C. The structure of cells
D. The behavior of animals
BIOL180 – PRACTICE EXAM 6: EVOLUTION AND NATURAL
SELECTION 2026/2027 COMPLETE CURRENT TESTING
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS WITH DETAILED
RATIONALES.
BIOL
Prepare for the BIOL180 Practice Exam 6 – Evolution and Natural Selection with this
focused study resource designed to reinforce essential evolutionary biology concepts.
Use it to review natural selection, adaptation, evolutionary change, variation,
inheritance, and mechanisms that influence populations over time. This resource can
help strengthen your understanding, identify areas that may require additional study,
and improve your exam readiness. It provides a structured supplement to your
coursework and supports a more confident approach to the BIOL180 assessment.
MULTIPLE CHOICE.
Section 1: Foundations of Evolution (Q1–Q15)
1. Which of the following best defines biological evolution?
A. Change in an individual organism during its lifetime
B. Change in allele frequencies in a population over generations
C. A random mutation in a single gene
D. The belief that organisms do not change over time
Answer: B
Rationale: Biological evolution is defined as change in the genetic
composition of a population over generations, often measured as
changes in allele frequencies.
2. Which scientist is most closely associated with the theory of evolution
by natural selection?
A. Gregor Mendel
B. Charles Darwin
C. Louis Pasteur
D. Robert Hooke
, Page 2 of 33
Answer: B
Rationale: Charles Darwin proposed the theory of evolution by natural
selection in his 1859 book On the Origin of Species.
3. Who independently developed a theory of natural selection similar to
Darwin's?
A. Alfred Russel Wallace
B. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
C. Georges Cuvier
D. Carolus Linnaeus
Answer: A
Rationale: Alfred Russel Wallace independently arrived at the idea of
natural selection, prompting Darwin to publish his work.
4. Which of the following is NOT a component of Darwin's theory of
natural selection?
A. Variation exists among individuals
B. Some variations are heritable
C. Organisms can inherit acquired traits
D. More offspring are produced than can survive
Answer: C
Rationale: Darwin rejected Lamarck's idea of inheritance of acquired
characteristics. Natural selection acts on heritable variation.
5. Which term describes an inherited trait that increases an organism's
fitness in a particular environment?
A. Mutation
B. Adaptation
C. Homology
D. Analogy
Answer: B
Rationale: An adaptation is an inherited trait that enhances survival or
reproduction in a specific environment.
6. What does "fitness" mean in evolutionary biology?
A. Physical strength
, Page 3 of 33
B. Lifespan
C. Reproductive success relative to others
D. Body size
Answer: C
Rationale: Fitness is measured by reproductive success—how many
offspring an individual produces relative to others in the population.
7. Which of the following is the ultimate source of new genetic variation?
A. Natural selection
B. Gene flow
C. Mutation
D. Genetic drift
Answer: C
Rationale: Mutation creates new alleles and is the ultimate source of all
genetic variation.
8. Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure in humans?
A. Appendix
B. Heart
C. Liver
D. Lung
Answer: A
Rationale: The appendix is a vestigial structure that has lost most of its
original function over evolutionary time.
9. Homologous structures are evidence for:
A. Convergent evolution
B. Common ancestry
C. Random mutation
D. Genetic drift
Answer: B
Rationale: Homologous structures share a common ancestry even if they
have different functions.
, Page 4 of 33
10. Analogous structures are evidence for:
A. Common ancestry
B. Convergent evolution
C. Divergent evolution
D. Genetic drift
Answer: B
Rationale: Analogous structures have similar functions but different
origins, indicating convergent evolution.
11. Which of the following provides the strongest molecular evidence for
evolution?
A. Similarities in DNA and protein sequences among species
B. Similarities in behavior
C. Similarities in habitat
D. Similarities in body size
Answer: A
Rationale: DNA and protein sequence similarities reflect shared ancestry
and provide strong molecular evidence for evolution.
12. The fossil record provides evidence for evolution because it shows:
A. That species have changed over time
B. That species never change
C. That all species appeared at once
D. That extinction does not occur
Answer: A
Rationale: Fossils document changes in organisms over geological time
and show transitional forms.
13. Biogeography is the study of:
A. The geographic distribution of species
B. The chemical composition of organisms
C. The structure of cells
D. The behavior of animals
