CBSE Class 12 Biology Evolution MCQs Set F

Question: The term ‘Survival of Fittest’ was used by
a) Jean Baptiste
b) Charles Darwin
c) Herbert Spencer
d) Hugo de Vries
Answer: c

Question: Analogous organs are
a) common in origin but perform different functions.
b) different in origin but perform similar functions.
c) common in origin and perform common functions.
d) different in origin and perform different functions.
Answer: b

Question: Adaptive radiation refers to
a) migration of members of a species to different geographical areas.
b) adaptations due to geographical isolation.
c) power of adaptation in an individual to a variety of environments.
d) evolution of different species from a common ancestor.
Answer: d

Question: How is extinction represented in a family tree diagram?
a) When a branch splits.
b) When a branch shifts along x-axis.
c) When a branch ends.
d) When a branch shifts along y-axis.
Answer: c

Question: Stanley L. Miller conducted experiments on prebiotic earth environment. The primary surprising products were
a) nucleotides
b) amino acids
c) simple sugars
d) peptides
Answer: b

Question: What is common amongst whale, seal and shark?
a) Homoiothermy
b) Seasonal migration
c) Thick subcutaneous fat
d) Convergent evolution
Answer: d

Question: Darwin was most influenced by
a) Lamarck’s theory of acquired characters.
b) Weismann’s theory of germplasm.
c) Wallace’s theory of origin of species.
d) Essay on Population by Malthus.
Answer: d

Question: Industrial melanism is an example of
a) defensive adaptation of skin against ultraviolet radiations.
b) drug resistance.
c) darkening of skin due to smoke from industries.
d) protective resemblance with the surroundings.
Answer: d

Question: A population is in Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium for a gene with two alleles. If the gene frequency of allele A is 0.7, the genotype frequency of Aa is
a) 0.36
b) 0.21
c) 0.42
d) 0.7
Answer: c

Question: Random genetic drift in a population probably results from
a) constant low mutation rate.
b) large population size.
c) interbreeding within the population.
d) highly genetically variable individuals.
Answer: d

Question: The first mammals were like
a) gorilla
b) reptiles
c) chimpanzee
d) shrews
Answer: d

Question: The extinct human ancestor who ate only fruits and hunted with stone weapons was
a) Homo habilis
b) Dryopithecus
c) Australopithecus
d) Ramapithecus
Answer: c

Statement Type Questions

Question: Which of the following statement is/are correct?
(i) Adaptative ability is inherited.
(ii) Adaptative ability has a genetic basis
(iii) Fitness is the end result of the ability to adapt and get selected by nature.
a) Only (ii)
b) Both (i) and (iii)
c) All of these
d) None of these
Answer: c

Question: Which of the following features are correct for Homo erectus?
(i) Had a large brain around 900 c.c.
(ii) Probably ate meat.
(iii) Appeared about 1.5 mya year ago.
(iv) Evolved from H. habilis.
a) (i) and (ii)
b) (ii) and (iii)
c) None of these
d) All of these
Answer: d

Question: Which of the following statement is correct?
a) Life appeared about 500 M. yrs after the formation of earth.
b) Louis Pasteur believed that life appeared only from pre-existing life.
c) Oparin advocated that life came from pre-existing non-living organic molecules.
d) All of the above
Answer: d

Question: What is true regarding industrialization in England?
a) The white-winged moths were completely wiped out after industrialization.
b) Since lichens did not grow in polluted area, the number of melanized moths got reduced.
c) After industrialization the white-winged moths did not survive due to predators.
d) All of the above
Answer: c

Question: Which of the following is not a false statement?
a) Life originated in mesozoic era.
b) Earth was formed about 4.6 million years ago.
c) First living organism in primitive ocean was coacervate.
d) Homologous organs show divergent evolution.
Answer: d

Question: Choose the wrong statement regarding Hardy–Weinberg principle.
a) Allele frequencies in a population are stable and constant from generation to generation.
b) Sum total of all the allelic frequencies in a population is 1.
c) Variation due to genetic drift results in changed frequency of genes and alleles in future generations.
d) Genetic recombination helps in maintaining Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium.
Answer: d

Question: Identify the correct conclusion regarding the given statements.
i. There are patterns in the fossil record that suggest other species have diverged from a single ancestor species.
ii. There are biogeographic patterns in the distribution of species, for instance distinct bird species on an island tend to resemble one another, suggesting a common ancestor.
iii. There are common stages in the early embryological development of organisms representing several distinct vertebrate groups. 
iv. Anatomical structures, such as forelimbs, in different groups appear to be modified versions of structures that might have been present in a common ancestor.
a) These are the example of a macro evolutionary process.
b) They are the evidences for Lamarck’s theory of inheritance.
c) They are the evidences for Darwin’s theory of common descent.
d) They are the examples of natural selection which occurs within populations, where artificial selection does not occur.
Answer: c

Question: Select the incorrect match from the given option.
(a) Homo habilis-Their brain capacities were between 650-800cc
(b) Homo erectus – Its fossil was discovered in Java in 1891 about 1.5 mya
(c) Neanderthal man – They used hides to protect their body and buried their dead.
(d) Ramapithecus – Arose in Africa and moved across continents and developed into distinct races
Answer: d

Critical Thinking Type Questions

Question: According to Lamarck, a giraffe has a long neck because
a) a creator designed it that way.
b) catastrophes eliminated short-necked forms.
c) its ancestors stretched their necks to get food.
d) ancestral giraffes with slightly longer necks than others got more food and left more surviving offspring.
Answer: c

Question: Which one of the following describes correctly the homologous structures?
a) Organs that have no function now, but had an important function in ancestors.
b) Organs appearing only in embryonic stage and disappearing later in the adult.
c) Organs with anatomical similarities, but performing different functions.
d) Organs with anatomical dissimilarities, but performing same function.
Answer: c

Question: Hugo de Vries gave his mutation theory on organic evolution while working on
a) Pisum sativum
b) Drosophila melanogaster
c) Oenothera lamarckiana
d) Althea rosea
Answer: c

Question: One of the important consequences of geographical isolation is
a) random creation of new species.
b) no change in the isolated fauna.
c) preventing speciation.
d) speciation through reproductive isolation.
Answer: d

Question: The term living fossil refers to a
a) life like fossil well preserved in amber.
b) fossil formed from a living animal.
c) living animal which is about to be fossilized.
d) living organisation showing some very primitive characters.
Answer: d

Question: Diversity in the type of beaks of finches adapted to different feeding habits on the Galapagos Islands, as observed by Darwin, provides evidence for
a) intraspecific variations
b) intraspecific competition
c) interspecific competition
d) origin of species by natural selection
Answer: d

Question: Select the correct order of geological time scale of earth.
a) Palaeozoic → Archaeozoic → Coenozoic
b) Archaeozoic → Palaeozoic → Proterozoic
c) Palaeozoic → Mesozoic → Coenozoic
d) Mesozoic → Archaeozoic → Proterozoic
Answer: c

Question: According to Darwin, two different areas within a continent have different species because they have different
a) evolutionary mechanisms
b) ancestors
c) environments
d) evolutionary times
Answer: c

Question: When two species of different genealogy come to resemble each other as a result of adaptation, the phenomenon is termed as
a) convergent evolution
b) divergent evolution
c) microevolution
d) co-evolution
Answer: a

Question: Fossil remains of Archaeopteryx indicates that
a) it was a flying reptile from Triassic.
b) it was a flying reptile from Permian.
c) reptiles gave rise to birds during Permian.
d) reptiles gave rise to birds during Jurassic.
Answer: d

Question: Evolution of different species in a given area starting from a point and spreading to other geographical areas is known as
a) adaptive radiation
b) natural selection
c) migration
d) divergent evolution
Answer: a

Question: The shape of the beaks of Darwin’s finches, industrial melanism, or the changes in horse teeth are all examples of
a) artificial selection.
b) natural selection.
c) convergent evolution.
d) homologous structures.
Answer: b

Question: Which one of the following changes involved is irrelevant in the evolution of man?
a) Perfection of hand for tool making.
b) Change of diet from hard nuts and hard roots to soft food.
c) Loss of tail.
d) Increase in the ability to communicate with others and develop community behaviour.
Answer: c

Question: Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium is based on which of the following equations?
a) p + pq + q = 1
b) p + 2pq + q = 1
c) p + p²q² + q = 1
d) p² + 2pq + q² = 1
Answer: d

Assertion/Reason Type

In the following questions, a statement of Assertion is followed by a statement of Reason.
(a) If both Assertion and Reason are true and the Reason is the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(b) If both Assertion and Reason are true but the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion.
(c) If Assertion is true but Reason is false.
(d) If both Assertion and Reason are false.

Question: Assertion : Organic compounds first evolved in earth required for origin of life were protein and nucleic acid.
Reason : All life forms were in water environment only.
Answer: b

Question: Assertion : Natural selection is the outcome of differences in survival and reproduction among individuals that show variation in one or more traits.
Reason : Adaptive forms of a given trait tend to become more common; less adaptive ones become less common or disappear.
Answer: a

Question: Assertion : Darwin’s finches show a variety of beaks suited for eating large seeds, flying insects and cactus seeds.
Reason : Ancestral seed-eating stock of Darwin’s finches radiated out from South American mainland to different geographical areas of the Galapagos Islands, where they found competitor-free new habitats.
Answer: b

Question: Assertion : Jave Ape-man, Peking man and Heidelberg man are the fossils of Homo erectus.
Reason : Homo erectus evolved from Homo habilis.
Answer: b

Matching Type Questions

Question: Match the column-I with column-II and choose the correct option.

   Column-I                                    Column-II
A. Human embryos                 I. Chemical evolution have gill
B. Oparin and                         II. Stimulation experiment Haldane
C. Miller and Urey                  III. Wings of bird and butterfly
D. Analogous organs             IV. Ontogeny repeats phylogeny

(a) A – III, B – IV, C – II, D – I
(b) A – II, B – I, C – IV, D – III
(c) A – IV, B – I, C – II, D – III
(d) A – IV, B – I, C – III, D – II
Answer: c

Question: Match column -I with column -II and select the correct option.

Column-I                          Column-II
A. Mesozoic                    I. First amphibians
B. Devonian                   II. Proliferation of reptiles
C. Palaeocene              III. Raise of modern mammals
D. Permian                  IV. Radiation of primitive mammals
                                     V. 160 million years

(a) A – V, B – IV, C – III, D – II
(b) A – V, B – I, C – IV, D – II
(c) A – V, B – I, C – II, D – III
(d) A – V, B – I, C – IV, D – III
Answer: b

Question: Match column-I with column-II and select the correct option.

Column-I                               Column-II
A. Wallace                           I. Essay on population
B. Malthus                           II. Biston
C. Hardy-weinberg              III. p² + q² + 2pq =1 law
D. Industrial                       IV. Co-proposer of melanism Natural selection
 

(a) A – III, B – IV, C – II, D – I
(b) A – II, B – I, C – IV, D – III
(c) A – IV, B – I, C – II, D – III
(d) A – IV, B – I, C – III, D – II
Answer: d