Free Evolution MCQs with Answers
814 Evolution MCQs from Biology, each with the correct answer and a written explanation of why it is correct. Free and unlimited, with no account needed.
Evolution describes heritable change in populations over generations through variation, natural selection and adaptation. Lamarckism explains inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwinism explains selection of favourable inherited variations; these historical explanations must not be confused with the modern genetic account of evolutionary change.
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- A. Armadillo
- B. Tasmanian Wolf
- C. Kangaroo
- D. Indus Dolphin
Explanation: The correct answer is "armadillo," as they are mammals native to the Americas.
Correct answer: Armadillo- A. Asia
- B. Neighboring continents
- C. Other continents
- D. South America
Explanation: The evolutionary view of biogeography suggests that species evolve in the regions they currently inhabit, supported by historical presence…
Correct answer: South America- A. Plastocyanin
- B. Cytochrome c
- C. Cytochrome F
- D. Ferredoxin
Explanation: Cytochrome c is a respiratory protein found in all aerobic species. Cytochrome c is a small heme protein located in the inner…
Correct answer: Cytochrome c- A. Origin of species, descent with modification.
- B. Natural selection, adaptation.
- C. Struggle for existence, evolution.
- D. Descent with modification, natural selection, and adaptation.
Explanation: Darwin's theory of evolution rests on three main points: 'Descent with Modification,' which refers to the passing on of traits from parent…
Correct answer: Descent with modification, natural selection, and adaptation.- A. Lamarck
- B. Darwin
- C. Malthus
- D. Aristotle
Explanation: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) proposed the theory of inheritance of acquired characteristics, also known as Lamarckism.
Correct answer: Lamarck- A. Reproductive isolation
- B. Infinite large population
- C. Environmental stability
- D. Both a and b
Explanation: Neo-Darwinism (Modern Synthetic Theory) explains evolution through the combined effects ofGenetic variation (mutation +…
Correct answer: Reproductive isolation- A. Origin of life
- B. Adaptation
- C. Extinction
- D. Speciation
Explanation: Charles Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species by Natural Selection" (1859) is primarily concerned with explaining the process of…
Correct answer: Speciation- A. Wallace
- B. Cuvier
- C. Malthus
- D. Darwin
Explanation: Correct, because Georges Cuvier proposed catastrophism, which suggests that Earth's history has been shaped by sudden, short-lived…
Correct answer: Cuvier- A. Reproductive isolation
- B. Mutation
- C. Chromosomal aberration
- D. Common habitat
Explanation: Common habitat - Correct. Living in the same habitat increases chances of mating within a species.
Correct answer: Common habitat- A. South America
- B. Great Britain
- C. Ireland
- D. France
Explanation: France - Correct. The first Cro-Magnon fossils were discovered in France, in the Dordogne region, in 1868.
Correct answer: France- A. Prokaryotes
- B. Eukaryotes
- C. Animals
- D. Seed plants
Explanation: Eukaryotes - Correct. Fossil evidence suggests eukaryotic cells first appeared around 1.5 billion years ago.
Correct answer: Eukaryotes- A. Bysmmetry
- B. Analogus organs
- C. Homologus organs
- D. Radial symmetry
- E. Asymmetry
Explanation: Analogous organs are organs that have similar functions but different structures and evolutionary origins.
Correct answer: Analogus organs- A. Weismann
- B. Lamarck
- C. Charles Darwin
- D. Zimmermann
Explanation: The theory of evolution was developed by Charles Darwin and is based on the principles of natural selection and gradual changes over long…
Correct answer: Charles Darwin- A. Domestication
- B. Deme
- C. Gene pool
- D. Desire trait
- E. Genetic death
Explanation: One of the most notable examples of artificial selection is domestication, where humans have selectively bred plants and animals to suit…
Correct answer: Domestication- A. Heritable
- B. Non-heritable
- C. Can be made heritable through so modification
- D. Sometimes heritable and othertimes non-heritable
Explanation: Adaptations that an organism acquires by its own actions during its lifespan without modifying its genome are non-heritable.
Correct answer: Non-heritable- A. Ocean
- B. River
- C. Mountain
- D. Atmosphere
Explanation: The atmosphere is not considered a geographical barrier in evolutionary processes.
Correct answer: Atmosphere- A. There is survival of the fittest
- B. There is use and disuse of organs
- C. Phylogeny recapitulates ontogeny
- D. Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny
Explanation: This concept, proposed by Ernst Haeckel, suggests that the development of an individual organism (ontogeny) follows the same sequence of…
Correct answer: Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny- A. Northern Europe
- B. Great Britain
- C. North American mainland
- D. South American mainland
Explanation: The animals species on the Galapagos islands resemble species living on the South American mainland.
Correct answer: South American mainland- A. Lamarck
- B. Darwin
- C. Herbert Spencer
- D. Aristotle
Explanation: Herbert Spencer is credited with coining the phrase 'survival of the fittest' in his work Principles of Biology, published in 1864.
Correct answer: Herbert Spencer- A. Random chance
- B. Non-random mating
- C. Natural selection
- D. Artificial selection
Explanation: Genetic drift is a change in allele frequencies in a population from generation to generation that occurs due to chance events.
Correct answer: Random chance