Darwin's Theory of Evolution

Species found on two distant islands with similar environments are more closely related to each other than to species on the nearest mainland.

The process of evolution is a theory that lacks empirical evidence and is based on untested hypotheses.

In the scientific community, the term 'theory' is equivalent to a hypothesis and lacks empirical evidence.

Natural selection is a minor factor in the process of evolution, and its effects are not observable in nature.

The theory of evolution by natural selection is a widely accepted hypothesis that has not been thoroughly tested by experiment and observation.

The fossil record does not provide evidence for the process of evolution, and its significance is widely debated among scientists.

The theory of evolution by natural selection has become dogma in the scientific community.

According to Darwin's original theory, evolution is a very slow process.

The fossil record shows that dinosaurs originated 150-200 million years ago.

The accumulation of adaptations leads to the formation of new species in a relatively short period of time.

MRSA developed drug resistance due to the overuse of antibiotics.

The geographic distribution of early dinosaur fossils is expected to be narrow due to their recent origin.

The Onymacris unguicularis beetle's headstanding behavior is an example of a vestigial trait.

Descent with modification by natural selection can explain the formation of new species.

The Linnaean classification system is based on the principles of evolution.

Phylogenetic trees can be used to study the fossil record of extinct species.

The fossil record provides direct evidence of the evolution of new species.

Natural selection can lead to the extinction of a species.

Birds with large ______ were better able to survive the drought and reproduce successfully.

Microevolution is defined as a change in ______ frequencies in a population over time.

Natural selection is the only mechanism of ______ evolution, improving the match between organisms and their environment.

Mutation and sexual reproduction produce the genetic ______ that makes evolution possible.

Mendel's particulate hypothesis of inheritance stated that parents pass on discrete heritable units (______) that retain their identities in offspring.

Three mechanisms can cause ______ frequencies to change: natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow.

It is the ______, not the individual, that evolves.

One common misconception about evolution is that ______ evolve, in a Darwinian sense, during their lifetimes.

The finches with larger, deeper ______ could crack the large seeds and thus were able to survive the food shortage during the drought.

The ______ beak size in the population was larger than before the drought.

Finches with large, deep ______ were able to survive the food shortage during the drought.

The ______ population had evolved larger beaks by natural selection.

New mutations can modify ______ frequencies, but the change from generation to generation is very small.

Mutations can ultimately have a large effect on ______ frequencies when it produces new alleles that strongly influence fitness.

The three mechanisms that directly alter ______ frequencies to bring about evolutionary change are natural selection, genetic drift, and gene flow.

Individuals with variations better suited to the environment tend to produce more offspring than those with variations that are less well suited, resulting in ______ selection.

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has an ______ that confers resistance to several insecticides, including DDT.

As a result of ______, alleles are passed on to the next generation in frequencies different from their relative frequencies in the present population.