Key Stage 2 (KS2) · Science

Evolution and Inheritance: Practice Questions

4 multiple-choice questions marked as you go, and 4 written questions with worked solutions. All on Evolution and Inheritance.

8 questions19 marksFree, no account

Question 1

1 mark

Which of these is an example of an inherited trait in humans?

Question 2

1 mark

Charles Darwin noticed that finches on the Galapagos Islands had different beak shapes. Some had thick beaks for crushing seeds, while others had thin beaks for eating insects. This is an example of which process?

Question 3

1 mark

Fossils are often found in layers of rock. If a scientist finds a fossil of a fish in a deep layer of sedimentary rock and a fossil of a small mammal in a much shallower layer of the same rock formation, what is the most likely conclusion?

Question 4

1 mark

A population of peppered moths lives in a forest with light-colored trees. Over several decades, industrial pollution causes the tree bark to turn dark with soot. Using the principles of natural selection, which of the following best describes the most likely sequence of events for the moth population?

Question 5

2 marks

Identify one physical characteristic that an animal might inherit from its parents and one characteristic that it might acquire from its environment.

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Question 6

4 marks

How do the fossils of extinct animals provide evidence for evolution?

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Question 7

5 marks

In a population of arctic hares, some individuals possess a genetic mutation that causes their fur to remain white all year round, while others change to brown in the summer. If the local climate experiences a permanent increase in temperature and a significant reduction in winter snowfall, explain how natural selection will likely affect the distribution of these two phenotypes over several generations.

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Question 8

4 marks

Evolution and Inheritance
A scientist is studying a population of birds on an island. These birds have different beak sizes. Over many years, the environment changes, and only very hard seeds are available for food.

(a) Explain what is likely to happen to the average beak size of the bird population over several generations.
(b) What is the name of the process, first proposed by Charles Darwin, that describes this change?
(c) Why is it important that there is variation in beak sizes within the population at the start?

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