Variation and evolution: Practice Questions

• a.A complex multicellular plant
• b.A highly specialized bacterial colony
• c.A simple single-celled organism
• d.A primitive vertebrate animal

• a.They migrate to new environments to avoid competition
• b.They stop competing with other members of the same species
• c.They are more likely to survive to breed successfully and pass on their genes
• d.They undergo rapid genetic mutation to adapt further

• a.It guarantees that all offspring will be genetically identical to the parents.
• b.It prevents mutations from occurring in the population's gene pool.
• c.It allows organisms to choose the best genes to pass to the next generation.
• d.It ensures that some individuals possess alleles that provide a survival advantage when conditions change.

• a.Characteristics caused by the conditions in which an organism has developed.
• b.Identical characteristics found in all clones produced by asexual reproduction.
• c.Differences in DNA sequences inherited from the parents.
• d.Characteristics resulting directly from a mutation in a gamete.

• a.Competition → Extinction → Mutation → Adaptation.
• b.Mutation → Speciation → Isolation → Natural selection.
• c.Variation → Differential survival → Breeding → Passing on genes.
• d.Environmental change → Acquired traits → Inheritance → New species.

Write your answer out first, then check it against the worked solution.