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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What aspect of organisms is not caused by chance?
(a) Location.
(b) Variation.
(c) Gender.
(d) Size.

2. Why does the point of possible starvation for animals occur sooner than for humans?
(a) Humans can rely on dietary supplements.
(b) Humans can last longer on less food.
(c) Humans have better hunting tools.
(d) Humans artificially produce food.

3. Which of the following occurs when one type of variation causes variation in another part of an organism?
(a) Correlation of growth.
(b) Normal variation.
(c) Misallocation of variation.
(d) Mulitvariation.

4. What do Naturalists suggest is one definite distinction between a species and a variety?
(a) Life span.
(b) Domestication.
(c) Size of groups.
(d) Geographical range.

5. What would increase the likelihood of variations occurring in a given population?
(a) Dramatic environmental changes.
(b) Domestication.
(c) Fewer members of the species to compete with.
(d) Increase in available food.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which term refers to a type of variation that is NOT inherited and only affects individuals?

2. What animal does Darwin use as an example of an intermediate form of a full-land and full-flying animal?

3. What is one function that cave dwelling animals lost through natural selection?

4. What results as a climate becomes more hostile?

5. What type of selection primarily affects the reproductive characteristics of a species?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is natural selection much broader than domestic selection by humans?

2. Why are polymorphic species considered an extreme illustration of variation?

3. What is the importance of indefinite variations?

4. How does Darwin propose a theory that goes against long-held popular belief?

5. What was Darwin's specific interest in the living species?

6. Regarding Darwin's example of the pigeon in Chapter 1, why is the pigeon easily determined to be descended from a single species?

7. Why would natural selection be considered counter-intuitive?

8. Why isn't it safe to assume that regions that are physically connected in the present day were connected in the past?

9. Why is it sometimes impossible to tell if climate is the cause for variations in the same species located in different geographical locations?

10. Is there a cycle to the struggle for existence? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

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