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A fossil is any evidence of a plant or animal that lived ages ago.

Unit 1 - Theories of Evolution

This GCSE Biology quiz explores theories of evolution, focusing on how variation and natural selection can gradually change species over long periods of time.

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Fascinating Fact:

Darwin suggested that within a species there is variation, and some individuals are better adapted to their environment than others.

In GCSE Biology, theories of evolution explain how living things have changed over time. Darwin’s theory uses ideas such as variation, competition and natural selection to show how new species can eventually arise.

Key Terms

Evolution: The gradual change in species over many generations due to inherited differences.
Natural selection: The process where better adapted individuals survive and reproduce, passing on their characteristics.
Variation: Differences between individuals of the same species, such as height or fur colour.

Frequently Asked Questions (Click to see answers)

What is Darwin's theory of evolution for GCSE?

Darwin’s theory states that there is variation within species and that individuals with advantageous characteristics are more likely to survive, reproduce and pass these on to their offspring.

How does natural selection lead to evolution?

Natural selection favours individuals that are better adapted to their environment. Over many generations, these traits become more common in the population, leading to gradual evolutionary change.

What evidence supports the theory of evolution?

Evidence includes the fossil record, similarities in embryos, shared structures between species and DNA comparisons, all suggesting that living things share common ancestors.

Try These Related Quizzes

1 .

Why are there gaps in the fossil record?

Many organisms do not survive

Not all organisms have been preserved

Many fossils have been destroyed by war

Fossils have been stolen from museums

This can occur for many reasons but, despite these gaps, other evidence can be used to support an evolutionary pathway, such as DNA

2 .

In natural selection, the individuals which survive are described as being which of the following?

Better trained

Better adapted

Better suited

Better known

If an organism is better adapted, it can survive and pass on its genes (or new behaviour) to the next and future generations

3 .

Variation which leads to new forms of organisms is caused by what?

Feeding

Excretion

Starvation

Mutation

Mutation of genes can be caused by environmental factors and by mistakes arising when DNA copies itself during cell reproduction

4 .

Darwin's theory was not accepted at first because of objections by which organisation?

The Government

The People

The Church

The Police

The press and other scientists were also very harsh towards Darwin's theory

5 .

The organisms which survive can then breed and pass on what?

Their jeans

Their pants

Their alleles

Their trousers

Alleles are alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome

6 .

What did Lamark's theory of evolution state?

That life evolved from apes

That the use of a feature allowed it to develop and be passed on and vice-versa

That evolution caused changes to skip a generation

That features could arise and then be lost

Knowledge of genetics was many years in the future. Without knowing about genes and inheritance, any theory of evolution is hard to understand and explain

7 .

Evidence for evolution comes from where?

Experiments

Fossils

Genetic engineering

Cloning

The fossil record gives a picture of the evolutionary process

8 .

What is a fossil?

A very old person

Any evidence of a plant or animal that lived ages ago

Any very old sedimentary rock

A skeleton of an animal

The fossil record of the horse is particularly complete and provides evidence for evolution that is difficult to deny

9 .

What does evolution mean?

Gradual change

Gradual reproduction

Gradual excretion

Gradual knowledge

Variation is caused by genetic mutation or a change in behaviour in response to a change in the habitat or environment

10 .

Evolution leads to the formation of which of the following?

New ideas

New species

New theories

New morals

Variation in each successive generation can create so many new adaptations that an organism is deemed to be a new species, as it has little in common with its ancestors

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Evolution

Author: Donna Davidson (GCSE Biology Teacher & Examiner, Quiz Writer)