Q.1 Who is known as the 'Father of Evolution'?
Gregor Mendel
Charles Darwin
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Alfred Wallace
Explanation - Charles Darwin proposed the theory of natural selection as the mechanism of evolution.
Correct answer is: Charles Darwin
Q.2 Which of the following best describes natural selection?
Organisms evolve traits to meet environmental needs
Random mutations that are beneficial increase in frequency
Survival of the fittest leads to changes in gene frequency
Organisms consciously adapt to survive
Explanation - Natural selection favors individuals with advantageous traits, increasing their frequency in the population.
Correct answer is: Survival of the fittest leads to changes in gene frequency
Q.3 Lamarck's theory of evolution is known as:
Theory of natural selection
Inheritance of acquired characteristics
Mutation theory
Theory of punctuated equilibrium
Explanation - Lamarck proposed that traits acquired during an organism's lifetime could be passed to offspring.
Correct answer is: Inheritance of acquired characteristics
Q.4 Which scientist independently conceived the idea of natural selection alongside Darwin?
Thomas Huxley
Alfred Wallace
Jean Lamarck
Gregor Mendel
Explanation - Alfred Wallace formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection similar to Darwin's, prompting Darwin to publish.
Correct answer is: Alfred Wallace
Q.5 The fossil record provides evidence for evolution primarily by showing:
Changes in organisms over geological time
Genetic mutations in populations
The origin of life from non-living matter
Natural selection acting in the present
Explanation - Fossils show morphological changes in species over time, documenting evolutionary history.
Correct answer is: Changes in organisms over geological time
Q.6 Which term refers to similar structures in different species that evolved from a common ancestor?
Analogous structures
Homologous structures
Vestigial structures
Adaptive structures
Explanation - Homologous structures indicate common ancestry even if their functions differ.
Correct answer is: Homologous structures
Q.7 Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
Wings of bats and birds
Forelimbs of humans and whales
Flippers of whales and fins of fish
Horns of cattle and antlers of deer
Explanation - Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar environments or pressures.
Correct answer is: Wings of bats and birds
Q.8 The concept of 'survival of the fittest' was popularized by:
Gregor Mendel
Charles Darwin
Herbert Spencer
Jean Lamarck
Explanation - Herbert Spencer coined 'survival of the fittest', which Darwin later associated with natural selection.
Correct answer is: Herbert Spencer
Q.9 Which of the following best represents a vestigial structure in humans?
Appendix
Heart
Lungs
Kidneys
Explanation - The human appendix is a reduced structure with no essential function, showing evolutionary remnants.
Correct answer is: Appendix
Q.10 Mutation contributes to evolution by:
Creating variation in a population
Eliminating harmful traits
Causing natural selection
Maintaining species stability
Explanation - Mutations introduce new alleles, providing raw material for evolutionary change.
Correct answer is: Creating variation in a population
Q.11 Which evolutionary concept explains sudden appearance of new species in the fossil record?
Gradualism
Punctuated equilibrium
Lamarckism
Adaptive radiation
Explanation - Punctuated equilibrium proposes that species remain stable for long periods, interrupted by rapid evolutionary changes.
Correct answer is: Punctuated equilibrium
Q.12 Which of the following is an example of adaptive radiation?
Darwin's finches in Galápagos Islands
Sharks and dolphins developing similar body shapes
Wings of bats and birds
Appendix in humans
Explanation - Adaptive radiation is the rapid evolution of diversely adapted species from a common ancestor in different ecological niches.
Correct answer is: Darwin's finches in Galápagos Islands
Q.13 Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium assumes all of the following except:
No mutations
No migration
Natural selection occurring
Random mating
Explanation - Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium requires no selection, mutations, or migration to maintain allele frequencies.
Correct answer is: Natural selection occurring
Q.14 Which type of selection favors individuals with extreme traits over intermediate traits?
Stabilizing selection
Directional selection
Disruptive selection
Artificial selection
Explanation - Disruptive selection favors both extremes and may lead to speciation.
Correct answer is: Disruptive selection
Q.15 The concept of 'fitness' in evolution primarily refers to:
Physical strength of an organism
Ability to survive harsh conditions
Reproductive success
Speed and agility
Explanation - Fitness in evolutionary biology is measured by the number of offspring an organism contributes to the next generation.
Correct answer is: Reproductive success
Q.16 Which of the following is a prezygotic reproductive barrier?
Temporal isolation
Hybrid sterility
Reduced hybrid viability
All of the above
Explanation - Temporal isolation prevents mating between species due to differences in timing of reproductive periods.
Correct answer is: Temporal isolation
Q.17 Which form of evolution occurs within a population due to the accumulation of small genetic changes?
Macroevolution
Microevolution
Convergent evolution
Adaptive radiation
Explanation - Microevolution involves small-scale changes in allele frequencies within a population over generations.
Correct answer is: Microevolution
Q.18 Which of the following is an example of coevolution?
Flowering plants and pollinators
Sharks and dolphins
Human appendix
Darwin's finches
Explanation - Coevolution occurs when two species exert selective pressures on each other, leading to reciprocal adaptations.
Correct answer is: Flowering plants and pollinators
Q.19 Which scientist proposed the idea of 'use and disuse' in evolution?
Charles Darwin
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Gregor Mendel
Thomas Huxley
Explanation - Lamarck suggested that body parts used extensively become stronger, while unused parts deteriorate, influencing inheritance.
Correct answer is: Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Q.20 Which process can result in speciation without geographical isolation?
Allopatric speciation
Sympatric speciation
Adaptive radiation
Convergent evolution
Explanation - Sympatric speciation occurs when new species arise within the same geographic area, often via polyploidy or ecological differentiation.
Correct answer is: Sympatric speciation
Q.21 Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of evolution?
Mutation
Natural selection
Genetic drift
Photosynthesis
Explanation - Photosynthesis is a metabolic process, not a mechanism that drives evolutionary change.
Correct answer is: Photosynthesis
Q.22 Which term describes evolutionary change above the species level?
Microevolution
Macroevolution
Artificial selection
Mutation
Explanation - Macroevolution refers to large-scale evolutionary changes that result in new species or higher taxa.
Correct answer is: Macroevolution
Q.23 Which of the following supports the theory of evolution at the molecular level?
Similar DNA sequences among related species
Presence of fossils
Homologous structures
Adaptive radiation
Explanation - Comparative molecular studies show that closely related species share more DNA sequences, supporting common ancestry.
Correct answer is: Similar DNA sequences among related species
Q.24 Which term refers to structures that have lost their original function but are still present in an organism?
Analogous structures
Vestigial structures
Homologous structures
Adaptive structures
Explanation - Vestigial structures are remnants of organs or structures that had a function in ancestral species.
Correct answer is: Vestigial structures
Q.25 Which theory explains the evolution of new species through gradual accumulation of small changes over long periods?
Gradualism
Punctuated equilibrium
Lamarckism
Mutation theory
Explanation - Gradualism proposes that evolution occurs slowly and continuously through small changes.
Correct answer is: Gradualism