CBSE Class 12 Biology Evolution VBQs

Question. For a long time, it was believed that life came out of decaying and rotting matter like straw, mud, etc. This was the theory of
(a) catastrophism
(b) spontaneous generation
(c) panspermia
(d) chemogeny
Answer : B

Question. Who proposed that the first form of life could have come from pre-existing non-living organic molecules and it precedes chemical evolution?
(a) SL Miller
(b) Oparin and Haldane
(c) Charles Darwin
(d) Alfred Wallace
Answer : B

Question. What did Miller obtained from his experiment?
(a) Amino acids
(b) Organic compounds
(c) Nitrogen bases
(d) All of these
Answer : D

Question. On early earth, organic acids were produced by the combination of H2 with
(a) ammonia and methane
(b) hydrogen
(c) organic matter
(d) sulphates and nitrates
Answer : A

Question. The first non-cellular forms of life that originated 3 billion years back was/were
(a) protein
(b) polysaccharide
(c) RNA
(d) All of these
Answer : D

Question. The first single cell-like structure initially appeared in
(a) air
(b) mountain
(c) ocean
(d) soil
Answer : C

Question. The sequence of origin of life may be
(a) Inorganic materials → Organic materials → Colloidal aggregate → Eobiont → Cell
(b) Organic materials → Inorganic materials → Colloidal aggregate → Eobiont → Cell
(c) Inorganic materials → Organic materials → Eobiont → Cell → Colloidal aggregate
(d) Organic materials → Inorganic materials → Eobiont → Cell → Colloidal aggregate
Answer : A

Question. What was the name of the sail ship used by Charles Darwin during his sea voyage?
(a) HMS Beagle
(b) HSM Beagle
(c) HMS Eagle
(d) HSM Eagle
Answer : A

Question. According to Charles Darwin’s observations
(a) existing life forms share similarities to the life forms that existed million of years ago
(b) life forms evolve gradually
(c) any population has built in variations which enable them to survive in natural conditions
(d) All of the above
Answer : D

Question. Change of lighter coloured variety of peppered moths (Biston betularia) to darker variety in the industrial era occurred due to
(a) selection of darker variety for survival
(b) deletion of gene
(c) industrial carbon deposited on the wings
(d) translocation of gene
Answer : A

Question. England in 1850s, i.e. before industrialisation set in, it was observed that there were more white-winged moths on trees than dark-winged or melanised moths.
However, in the collection carried out from the same area, but after industrialisation, i.e. in 1920, there were more dark-winged moths in the same area, i.e.
the proportion was reversed.
Predict the possible reason for such change.
(a) Natural selection
(b) Artificial selection
(c) Conditional selection
(d) Divergent selection
Answer : A

Question. According to Darwin, those who are better fit in an environment,
(a) leave more progeny than others
(b) leave less progeny than others
(c) are eradicated rapidly due to competition
(d) None of the above
Answer : A

Question. The eyes of Octopus and eyes of cat show different patterns of structure, yet they perform similar function. This is an example of 
(a) homologous organs that have evolved due to convergent evolution
(b) homologous organs that have evolved due to divergent evolution
(c) analogous organs that have evolved due to convergent evolution
(d) analogous organs that have evolved due to divergent evolution
Answer : B

Question. The process by which organisms with different evolutionary history evolve similar phenotypic adaptations in response to a common environmental challenge, is called 
(a) natural selection
(b) convergent evolution
(c) non-random evolution
(d) adaptive radiation
Answer : B

Question. Evolutionary convergence is the development of
(a) common set of characters in closely related groups
(b) common set of characters in the group of different ancestry
(c) random mating
(d) dissimilar characters in the closely related groups
Answer : B

Question. Theory of natural selection as the mechanism of evolution was given by
(a) Lamarck
(b) Darwin
(c) Alfred Wallace
(d) JBS Haldane
Answer : B

Question. Scientist who also came to the similar conclusions around the same time of Charles Darwin was
(a) Alfred Wallace
(b) Hugo de Vries
(c) TH Morgan
(d) Oparin and Haldane
Answer : A

Question. Malay Archipelago is
(a) a group of islands visited by Wallace
(b) a research paper on evolution written by Wallace
(c) a research paper on ecology written by Wallace
(d) a group of organism studied by Wallace
Answer : A

Question. The conclusions drawn by Darwin and Wallace were
(a) All existing life forms share similarities and common ancestors
(b) The ancestors of existing life forms were present at different periods in the history of earth
(c) The geological history of earth correlates with the biological history of earth
(d) All of the above
Answer : D

Question. Evidence that evolution of life forms has indeed taken place on earth has come from
(a) fossil studies (palaeontological evidences)
(b) morphological and comparative anatomical studies
(c) biochemical studies
(d) All of the above
Answer : D

Question. Fossils are the remains of
(a) hard parts of life forms found in rocks
(b) light parts of life forms found in rocks
(c) proteins and bones of life forms found in rocks
(d) fats and proteins of life forms found in rocks
Answer : A

Question. A study of fossils in different sedimentary layers indicates
(a) physiological period in which they existed
(b) geological period in which they existed
(c) conditions in which they were living
(d) All of the above
Answer : B

Question. Fossils are useful in
(a) studying extinct organisms
(b) studying history of organisms
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of the above
Answer : C

Question. Embryological support for evolution given by Ernst Haeckel includes the
(a) presence of hair all over the body in adult human
(b) absence of tail bone and presence of wisdom tooth
(c) absence of vestigial gill slits in human’s embryo
(d) presence of row of vestigial gill slits in embryo of all vertebrates
Answer : D

Question. Evolutionary biology is
(a) the study of history of life forms on earth
(b) study of pedigrees of life forms on earth
(c) equivalent to demography
(d) equivalent to anthropology
Answer : A

Question. According to one of the most widely accepted theories, earth’s atmosphere before origin of life consisted of a mixture of
(a) O3 CH4 O2 , , and H O 2
(b) O NH CH 3 3 4 , , and H O 2
(c) H CO NH 2 2 3 , , and CH4
(d) CH NH H 4 3 2 , , and H O 2 vapours
Answer : D

Question. Which theory arguments that life on earth came from outer space through spores?
(a) Theory of panspermia
(b) Cosmozoic theory
(c) Spore theory
(d) More than one option are correct
Answer : A

Question. Experimental evidence of chemical evolution was given by
(a) Miller
(b) Haldane
(c) Oparin
(d) All of these
Answer : A

Question. Miller synthesised simple amino acids from one of the following mixtures in his experiment
(a) CH , NH , H 4 3 2 and water vapours at 800ºC
(b) H , O , N 2 2 2 and water vapours at 200ºC
(c) H , O , C 2 2 2 and water vapours at 2000ºC
(d) CH , NH , O 4 3 2 and water vapours at 500ºC
Answer : A

Question. The similarity of bone structure in the forelimbs of many vertebrates is an example of 
(a) convergent evolution
(b) analogy
(c) homology
(d) adaptive radiation
Answer : C

Question. Among the following sets of examples for divergent evolution, select the incorrect option. 
(a) Brain of bat, man and cheetah
(b) Heart of bat, man and cheetah
(c) Forelimbs of man, bat and cheetah
(d) Eye of Octopus, bat and man
Answer : D

Question. Diagram given below indicates  (Image 36)
(a) analogous organs
(b) homologous organs
(c) convergent evolution
(d) All of these
Answer : C

Question. Who discarded the theory of spontaneous generation once and for all?
(a) Louis Pasteur
(b) Francesco Redi
(c) Spallanzani
(d) Aristotle
Answer : A

Question. Who showed that life did not evolve from killed yeast in pre-sterilised flasks?
(a) Oparin
(b) Haldane
(c) Louis Pasteur
(d) Miller
Answer : C

Question. The original finches from which other finches arose on Galapagos island were
(a) seed-eating
(b) insectivorous
(c) vegetarian
(d) carnivorous
Answer : A

Question. Which one of the following aspects of evolution is shown by Darwin’s finches?
(a) Biogeographic evidence
(b) Industrial melanism
(c) Biochemical evidence
(d) Embryological evidence
Answer : A

Question. The wings of a bird and the wings of an insect are
(a) homologous structures and represent divergent evolution
(b) analogous structures and represent convergent evolution
(c) phylogenetic structures and represent divergent evolution
(d) homologous structures and represent convergent evolution
Answer : B

Question. Biochemical similarities are based on study of
(a) similarities in carbohydrates of organisms
(b) similarities in fat (fatty acid) of organisms
(c) similarities in protein and genes of organisms
(d) All of the above
Answer : C

Question. The peppered moth (Biston betularia), the black-coloured form becomes dominant over the light-coloured form of moth in England during industrial revolution. This is an example of 
(a) appearance of the darker-coloured individuals due to very poor sunlight
(b) protective mimicry
(c) inheritance of darker colour character acquired due to the darker environment
(d) natural selection whereby the darker forms were selected
Answer : D

Question. Natural indicator of industrial pollution is
(a) algae
(b) fungi
(c) lichen
(d) bacteria
Answer : C

Question. Industrial melanism is an example of
(a) neo Darwinism
(b) natural selection
(c) mutation
(d) neo Lamarckism
Answer : B

Question. Example of anthropogenic evolution is
(a) selection of resistant microbes to pesticides
(b) antibiotic resistant eukaryotic cells
(c) Industrial melanism is Biston betularia
(d) All of the above
Answer : C

Question. Evolution is
(a) discontinuous process
(b) stochastic process
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) non-essential process
Answer : D

Question. Which one of the following was not explained by Darwinism?
(a) Natural selection
(b) Struggle for existence
(c) Arrival of the fittest
(d) Origin of species
Answer : C

Question. Which of the following factors was not taken into account by Darwin in his theory of natural selection?
(a) Struggle for existence
(b) Discontinuous variations
(c) Parasites and predators as natural enemies
(d) Survival of the fittest
Answer : B