Evolution

1.Wings of birds and wings of butterflies contribute to locomotion. Explain the type of
evolution such organs are a result of. 2
2.(a) Describe the observations made on collection of white winged moths and dark
winged moths in England between the years 1850 and 1920. What did these
observations lead to ?
(b) How is the use of herbicides, pesticides and antibiotics by humans for various
purposes, comparable with the observations made on moths in the above question ?
What is this type of phenomenon called ? 5
3.The theory of evolution supported by the experiment conducted by Louis Pasteur is 1
(A) Spontaneous generation theory
(B) Life comes only from pre-existing life
(C) Abiogenesis of life
(D) Big bang theory
4.(a) Identify any two marsupials from the list given below :
(i) Lemur
(ii) Spotted cuscus
(iii) Flying phalanger
(iv) Bobcat
(v) Tasmanian wolf
(vi) Mole
(b) ‘‘Australian marsupials exhibit adaptive radiation.’’ Justify the statement. 2
5.
6.(a) Why is the collection of white winged moths and dark winged moths made in
England between 1850 – 1920 considered a good example of natural selection ?
(b) ‘‘Evolution is based on chance events in nature and chance mutations in
organisms.’’ Justify the statement. 3
7.Analogous organs are a result of convergent evolution whereas homologous organs
are a result of divergent evolution. Justify with the help of suitable example for each. 3
8.The hypothesis that “Life originated from pre-existing non-living organic molecules
was proposed by 1
(a) Oparin and Haldane
(b) Louis Pasteur
(c) S.L. Miller
(d) Hugo de Vries
9.(a) State what does the study of Fossils indicate.
(b) Rearrange the following group of plants according to their evolution from Palaeozoic
to Cenozoic periods : Rhynia; Arborescent Lycopods; Conifers; Dicotytedon
10.State the two principal outcomes of the experiments conducted by Louis Pasteur on
origin of life. 1
11.How would the gene flow or genetic drift affect the population in which either of them
happen to take place ? 2
12.(a) Write two differences between Homo erectus and Homo habilis.
(b) Rearrange the following from early to late geologic periods :
Carboniferous, Silurian, Jurassic. 3
13.Mention one example each from plants and animals exhibiting divergent evolution. 1
14.According to Darwinian theory of natural selection the rate of appearance of new
forms is linked to the life-cycle or the life-span of an organism. Explain with the help of
an example. 3
15.Describe S.L. Miller’s experiment. Comment on the observations he made and his
contribution towards the origin of life on Earth. 5
16.What is ‘Saltation’ according to de Vries ? 1
17.‘‘Appearance of melanised moths post-industrialisation in England is a classic
example of evolution by natural selection.’’ Explain. 3
18.According to the Hardy-Weinberg principle, the allele frequency of a population
remains constant. How do you interpret the change of frequency of alleles in a
population ? 1
OR
Coelacanth was caught in South Africa. State the significance of discovery of
Coelacanth in the evolutionary history of vertebrates.
19.(a) How does the Hardy-Wienberg equation explain genetic equilibrium ?
(b) Describe how this equilibrium is disturbed that may lead to founder effect. 5
20.Charles Darwin during his famous sea voyage around the world in a ship (HMS
Beagle), concluded that there has been gradual evolution of life.
Answer the following questions :
(a) What is his theory known as ? Explain the salient features of his theory.
(b) Name a scientist who arrived at a similar conclusion as that of Charles Darwin. 3
21.Write the names of the following :. 1
(a) A 15 mya primate that was ape-like
(b) A 2 mya primate that lived in East African grasslands
22.With the help of an algebraic equation, how did Hardy-Weinberg explain that in a
given population the frequency of occurrence of alleles of a gene is supposed to remain
the same through generations ? 2
23.(a) Differentiate between analogous and homologous structures.
(b) Select and write analogous structures from the list given below :
(i) Wings of butterfly and birds
(ii) Vertebrate hearts
(iii) Tendrils of bougainvillea and cucurbita
(iv) Tubers of sweet potato and potato. 3
24.State two postulates of Oparin and Haldane with reference to origin of life. 1
25.Write the characteristics of Ramapithecus, Dryopithecus and Neanderthal man. 3
26.What is disturbance in Hardy-Weinberg genetic equilibrium indicative of ? Explain
how it is caused. 3
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29.(a) Select the homologous structures from the combinations given below :. 2
(i) Forelimbs of whales and bats
(ii) Tuber of potato and sweet potato
(iii) Eyes of octopus and mammals
(iv) Thorns of Bougainvillea and tendrils of Cucurbita
(b) State the kind of evolution they represent.
30.What does the following equation represent ? Explain. 3
p2 + 2 pq + q2 = 1
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