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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. With respect to breeders, what leads to the development of different varieties of species when breeding?

2. What typically happens to a species that begins to vary and forms two distinct species?

3. Which of the following tends to live over larger areas?

4. Which term refers to organisms with no distinct gender?

5. What is the primary cause for the struggle for survival between species?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is a flying mammal such as a bat difficult to explain through natural selection?

2. What are four objections raised to the theory of natural selection?

3. What is the importance of indefinite variations?

4. Is there a cycle to the struggle for existence? Explain.

5. How do variations occur in the wild?

6. What occurs in situations where a species is moved from one climate to another?

7. How does the growth of a population work?

8. Why is it sometimes impossible to tell if climate is the cause for variations in the same species located in different geographical locations?

9. Why is natural selection much broader than domestic selection by humans?

10. Why would, on some islands, nature select for beetles that do not fly?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Darwin understands that his research methods are inadequate for the extent of his theory. Why do you think he admits this flaw, and how does Darwin propose to overcome flaws in his research?

Essay Topic 2

Darwin discusses four objections to his theory. Discuss these objections. Do you think Darwin makes valid points to explain away these objections? Can you find flaws in either the objections to Darwin's theory of the theory itself?

Essay Topic 3

Darwin gives a number of examples as proof of natural selection. Is there any one example of a situation that provides the strongest amount of proof? If so, what is it and how does it provide this proof? If not, why do you think this proof is unavailable?

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