Evolutionary Biology MCQs are very important test and often asked by various testing services and competitive exams around the world. Here you will find all the Important Evolutionary Biology MCQs for Preparation.
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Evolutionary Biology Online MCQs with Answers
Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure?
a) Human appendix
b) Bird wings
c) Fish gills
d) Snake fangs
Which process results in the formation of new species?
a) Genetic mutation
b) Natural selection
c) Genetic drift
d) Speciation
What is the main driving force behind evolution?
a) Genetic mutation
b) Natural selection
c) Genetic drift
d) Gene flow
The term “fitness” in evolutionary biology refers to:
a) Physical strength and agility
b) The ability to survive in extreme environments
c) The number of offspring an individual produces
d) The overall health and well-being of an organism
Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
a) Birds and bats both have wings
b) Dolphins and sharks have streamlined bodies
c) Humans and chimpanzees share a common ancestor
d) Plants and fungi have similar cell walls
What is the primary source of genetic variation in a population?
a) Mutation
b) Migration
c) Genetic recombination
d) Natural selection
Which of the following is an example of coevolution?
a) Bees and flowers
b) Lions and gazelles
c) Fish and coral reefs
d) Humans and bacteria
The process by which a population becomes better suited to its environment over time is called:
a) Adaptation
b) Genetic drift
c) Artificial selection
d) Gene flow
Which of the following is an example of sexual selection?
a) Male peacocks displaying elaborate tail feathers
b) Cheetahs evolving to run faster
c) Fish adapting to survive in deep waters
d) Plants developing resistance to herbicides
Which type of natural selection favors extreme phenotypes over intermediate phenotypes?
a) Stabilizing selection
b) Directional selection
c) Disruptive selection
d) Artificial selection
The process by which unrelated species evolve similar traits due to similar selective pressures is known as:
a) Divergent evolution
b) Convergent evolution
c) Parallel evolution
d) Coevolution
What is the term for the movement of individuals into or out of a population?
a) Genetic drift
b) Genetic flow
c) Gene pool
d) Migration
What is the correct order of geological eras, from oldest to most recent?
a) Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic
b) Mesozoic, Paleozoic, Cenozoic
c) Cenozoic, Mesozoic, Paleozoic
d) Paleozoic, Cenozoic, Mesozoic
The study of the distribution of organisms and their relationship to the environment is called:
a) Paleontology
b) Biogeography
c) Phylogenetics
d) Ethology
Which of the following is an example of a prezygotic reproductive barrier?
a) Inability to mate due to differences in courtship displays
b) Incompatibility of gametes after mating
c) Failure of offspring to survive to reproductive age
d) Inability of offspring to mate with other populations
The concept that closely related species are found in the same geographic area is known as:
a) Adaptive radiation
b) Allopatric speciation
c) Sympatric speciation
d) Vicariance
Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of evolution?
a) Genetic mutation
b) Genetic drift
c) Gene flow
d) Genetic homeostasis
The study of the evolutionary history and relationships among organisms is called:
a) Phylogenetics
b) Paleontology
c) Biogeography
d) Comparative anatomy
Which of the following is an example of a postzygotic reproductive barrier?
a) Inability to mate due to differences in courtship displays
b) Incompatibility of gametes after mating
c) Failure of offspring to survive to reproductive age
d) Inability of offspring to mate with other populations
The process by which species evolve in response to changes in each other is known as:
a) Genetic drift
b) Coevolution
c) Adaptation
d) Allopatric speciation
Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?
a) Dogs bred for specific traits
b) Birds adapting to their environment
c) Fish evolving to survive in polluted waters
d) Humans developing resistance to diseases
The smallest unit of evolution is:
a) Individual
b) Population
c) Species
d) Ecosystem
Which of the following statements about genetic drift is true?
a) It increases genetic variation in a population
b) It occurs only in large populations
c) It is more significant in small populations
d) It is influenced by natural selection
The ability of an organism to survive and reproduce in its environment is known as:
a) Fitness
b) Adaptation
c) Variation
d) Speciation
Which of the following is an example of a homologous structure?
a) Bat wing and butterfly wing
b) Bird wing and fish fin
c) Human arm and cat leg
d) Plant leaf and insect wing
The process by which species evolve separately in different geographic areas is known as:
a) Sympatric speciation
b) Allopatric speciation
c) Adaptive radiation
d) Convergent evolution
What is the term for the variety of different species within a given area?
a) Biodiversity
b) Genetic diversity
c) Species richness
d) Ecosystem diversity
The process by which an individual organism acquires traits during its lifetime and passes them on to its offspring is known as:
a) Natural selection
b) Genetic drift
c) Lamarckism
d) Gene flow
Which of the following is NOT a mechanism of speciation?
a) Allopatric speciation
b) Sympatric speciation
c) Parapatric speciation
d) Reproductive isolation
The study of the physical and biochemical mechanisms underlying evolutionary change is called:
a) Population genetics
b) Molecular evolution
c) Comparative genomics
d) Evolutionary physiology
Which of the following is an example of a post-zygotic reproductive barrier?
a) Inability to mate due to differences in courtship displays
b) Incompatibility of gametes after mating
c) Failure of offspring to survive to reproductive age
d) Inability of offspring to mate with other populations
The process of DNA replication occurs during:
a) Mitosis
b) Meiosis I
c) Meiosis II
d) Interphase
Which of the following is an example of a genetic mutation?
a) Crossing over during meiosis
b) Independent assortment of chromosomes
c) Insertion of a DNA base pair
d) Separation of sister chromatids
The process of photosynthesis occurs in which organelle of plant cells?
a) Nucleus
b) Mitochondria
c) Chloroplast
d) Golgi apparatus
Which of the following is a function of the cell membrane?
a) Protein synthesis
b) Energy production
c) Cellular respiration
d) Regulation of materials entering and leaving the cell
Which of the following is a nitrogenous base found in DNA?
a) Adenine
b) Guanine
c) Thymine
d) All of the above
The process by which a cell divides into two daughter cells is called:
a) Mitosis
b) Meiosis
c) Cytokinesis
d) Replication
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of living organisms?
a) Reproduction
b) Metabolism
c) Homeostasis
d) Inorganic composition
Which of the following is an example of an autotrophic organism?
a) Human
b) Dog
c) Rose bush
d) Algae
The process by which genetic information from DNA is copied into RNA is called:
a) Translation
b) Transcription
c) Replication
d) Translocation
Which of the following is the correct order of organization in living organisms, from smallest to largest?
a) Organelle, cell, tissue, organ, organ system
b) Organ system, organ, tissue, cell, organelle
c) Cell, organelle, tissue, organ, organ system
d) Organelle, tissue, cell, organ, organ system
The structure responsible for protein synthesis in a cell is the:
a) Ribosome
b) Nucleus
c) Mitochondria
d) Golgi apparatus
Which of the following is an example of a multicellular organism?
a) Bacteria
b) Amoeba
c) Fungus
d) Human
Which of the following is a function of mitochondria?
a) Protein synthesis
b) Photosynthesis
c) Cellular respiration
d) Lipid synthesis
The process of meiosis is necessary for the production of:
a) Somatic cells
b) Gametes
c) Zygotes
d) Stem cells
Which of the following is an example of a haploid cell?
a) Sperm cell
b) Skin cell
c) Liver cell
d) Nerve cell
The process of DNA replication occurs during which phase of the cell cycle?
a) G1 phase
b) S phase
c) G2 phase
d) M phase
Which of the following is a characteristic of prokaryotic cells?
a) Presence of a nucleus
b) Membrane-bound organelles
c) Single circular chromosome
d) Larger in size than eukaryotic cells
Which of the following is NOT a type of RNA?
a) Messenger RNA (mRNA)
b) Transfer RNA (tRNA)
c) Ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
d) Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
The process of crossing over occurs during which phase of meiosis?
a) Prophase I
b) Metaphase I
c) Anaphase I
d) Telophase I
The genetic material of a virus is composed of:
a) DNA only
b) RNA only
c) Both DNA and RNA
d) Proteins
Which of the following is the correct order of the stages in mitosis?
a) Prophase, metaphase, anaphase, telophase
b) Telophase, anaphase, metaphase, prophase
c) Metaphase, prophase, anaphase, telophase
d) Anaphase, prophase, metaphase, telophase
The process of fertilization occurs between:
a) Sperm and egg
b) Two sperm cells
c) Two egg cells
d) Gametes and zygotes
Which of the following is the correct sequence of events in cellular respiration?
a) Glycolysis, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain
b) Electron transport chain, Krebs cycle, glycolysis
c) Krebs cycle, glycolysis, electron transport chain
d) Glycolysis, electron transport chain, Krebs cycle
Which of the following is an example of a monosaccharide?
a) Glucose
b) Starch
c) Cellulose
d) Chitin
The process by which water molecules move across a semipermeable membrane from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration is called:
a) Diffusion
b) Osmosis
c) Active transport
d) Facilitated diffusion
Which of the following is NOT a function of proteins in cells?
a) Enzymatic reactions
b) Structural support
c) Energy storage
d) Cell signaling
The process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose is called:
a) Cellular respiration
b) Photosynthesis
c) Glycolysis
d) Fermentation
The three components of a nucleotide are:
a) Sugar, phosphate, nitrogenous base
b) Sugar, amino acid, nitrogenous base
c) Phosphate, fatty acid, nitrogenous base
d) Phosphate, amino acid, sugar
Which of the following is the correct order of the stages in the cell cycle?
a) G1 phase, S phase, G2 phase, M phase
b) S phase, G1 phase, G2 phase, M phase
c) G2 phase, G1 phase, S phase, M phase
d) G1 phase, G2 phase, S phase, M phase
The process by which water-soluble substances are transported across a cell membrane with the help of carrier proteins is called:
a) Active transport
b) Diffusion
c) Facilitated diffusion
d) Osmosis
Which of the following is an example of a polysaccharide?
a) Glucose
b) Sucrose
c) Lactose
d) Starch
The organelle responsible for packaging and sorting proteins for transport is the:
a) Ribosome
b) Golgi apparatus
c) Nucleus
d) Endoplasmic reticulum
Which of the following is a function of the cell wall in plant cells?
a) Protection
b) Support
c) Regulation of materials entering and leaving the cell
d) Energy production
The genetic material of eukaryotic cells is located in the:
a) Nucleus
b) Cytoplasm
c) Ribosome
d) Cell membrane
The process of DNA replication is semiconservative, which means:
a) Each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of one old strand and one new strand
b) Each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of two old strands
c) Each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of two new strands
d) Each newly synthesized DNA molecule consists of one old strand and one RNA strand
Which of the following is an example of an organelle found in plant cells but not in animal cells?
a) Chloroplast
b) Mitochondria
c) Endoplasmic reticulum
d) Golgi apparatus
The process by which an amoeba engulfs and takes in solid particles is called:
a) Exocytosis
b) Endocytosis
c) Pinocytosis
d) Diffusion
The process by which a cell engulfs and takes in liquid particles is called:
a) Exocytosis
b) Endocytosis
c) Pinocytosis
d) Diffusion
The process by which the information in mRNA is used to synthesize a protein is called:
a) Transcription
b) Translation
c) Replication
d) Translocation