Questions on Comparative Anatomy in Evolution
Multiple-Choice Questions: Comparative Anatomy in Evolution
1. What does comparative anatomy study?
A) Behavior of extinct animals
B) Chemical composition of fossils
C) Anatomical similarities and differences among organisms
D) Growth of bacteria
E) Changes in rock layers
2. Which of the following best defines homologous structures?
A) Structures with identical function but different origin
B) Structures formed artificially
C) Structures with similar origin but different functions
D) Structures that serve no purpose
E) Structures found only in mammals
3. Which is an example of a homologous structure?
A) Wings of birds and insects
B) Flippers of whales and wings of bats
C) Gills of fish and lungs of mammals
D) Tail of a monkey and a horse
E) Eyes of humans and octopuses
4. What does the presence of homologous structures suggest?
A) Convergent evolution
B) Environmental adaptation only
C) Common ancestry
D) No evolutionary relation
E) Random mutation
5. What are analogous structures?
A) Body parts with same function and common origin
B) Traits resulting from artificial selection
C) Features from genetic drift
D) Structures with similar function but different origins
E) Traits unique to extinct organisms
6. Which pair shows analogous structures?
A) Human hand and whale flipper
B) Cat leg and bird wing
C) Bat wing and butterfly wing
D) Horse leg and frog leg
E) Dolphin fin and seal flipper
7. Which of the following is not a type of evidence provided by comparative anatomy?
A) Vestigial structures
B) Fossil layers
C) Homologous structures
D) Analogous structures
E) Embryological similarities
8. What is a vestigial structure?
A) A fully functional organ
B) A newly evolved structure
C) A structure that has lost most or all of its function
D) A modified fossil
E) A structure only found in embryos
9. Which is an example of a vestigial structure in humans?
A) Heart
B) Appendix
C) Kidneys
D) Skin
E) Retina
10. The wings of a flightless bird like an ostrich are:
A) Homologous and functional
B) Analogous and vestigial
C) Vestigial and homologous
D) Homologous and analogous
E) Non-biological features
11. Comparative anatomy supports which evolutionary concept?
A) Instantaneous creation
B) Common descent
C) Fixity of species
D) Abiogenesis
E) Intelligent design
12. Which statement is true regarding embryonic development and evolution?
A) Embryos of different species show no similarities
B) All embryos develop from the same DNA
C) Embryos of vertebrates share common features early in development
D) Embryos form without a genetic plan
E) Only mammals have similar embryos
13. The similarity of arm bones in humans, cats, whales, and bats is due to:
A) Environmental necessity
B) Convergent evolution
C) Homology and shared ancestry
D) Different evolutionary origins
E) Mutation caused by food
14. What does comparative anatomy reveal about vertebrates?
A) All vertebrates have identical organs
B) Vertebrates evolved independently
C) Many share homologous structures
D) All have vestigial limbs
E) None evolved from a common ancestor
15. The study of comparative anatomy helped Darwin develop:
A) Theory of relativity
B) Germ theory
C) Theory of natural selection
D) Theory of plate tectonics
E) Law of gravity
16. The similarities in the bone structure of mammalian forelimbs indicate:
A) They evolved for the same purpose
B) Random design
C) A shared common ancestor
D) Evolution by disuse
E) No relation between species
17. Which structure is vestigial in whales?
A) Blowhole
B) Tail fin
C) Hind limb bones
D) Teeth
E) Dorsal fin
18. Which statement best distinguishes homologous from analogous structures?
A) Homologous structures are functional; analogous are not
B) Homologous structures have different origins
C) Analogous structures come from common ancestors
D) Homologous structures have similar ancestry; analogous have similar functions
E) Analogous structures are only found in mammals
19. The pelvic bones in snakes are an example of:
A) Analogous structures
B) Functional adaptations
C) Vestigial structures
D) Homologous organs
E) Regenerative limbs
20. Why do some unrelated species develop similar features?
A) Homologous adaptation
B) Random inheritance
C) Convergent evolution due to similar environments
D) Divergent evolution from common ancestor
E) Artificial manipulation
- Questions About Fossils
- Questions on Lamarck’s Theory of Evolution
- Questions on Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection
Answer Key with Extended Explanations
1. C – Comparative anatomy examines the structure of different organisms to understand evolutionary relationships.
2. C – Homologous structures have a common ancestral origin but may serve different functions in current species.
3. B – Whale flippers and bat wings are structurally similar due to common ancestry but serve different purposes.
4. C – Homologous structures strongly suggest that species share a common ancestor.
5. D – Analogous structures perform the same function but evolved independently, not from a shared ancestor.
6. C – Bat and butterfly wings both enable flight but evolved separately—analogous.
7. B – Fossil layers relate to stratigraphy, not comparative anatomy directly.
8. C – Vestigial structures are evolutionary leftovers—organs or features that are no longer functional.
9. B – The human appendix is a classic vestigial structure, once used in digestion of cellulose.
10. C – Ostrich wings are vestigial and also homologous to those of other birds.
11. B – Comparative anatomy supports common descent, a key part of evolutionary theory.
12. C – Early-stage embryos of many vertebrates show striking similarities, indicating a shared ancestry.
13. C – The similar bone structures in limbs of mammals indicate homology from a shared ancestor.
14. C – Many vertebrates exhibit homologous structures, despite differences in function.
15. C – Darwin relied on evidence from comparative anatomy to support natural selection.
16. C – Similar bone structures in mammalian forelimbs point to a shared common ancestor.
17. C – Whales retain small internal hind limb bones, which are vestigial.
18. D – Homologous = similar ancestry, Analogous = similar function but different origins.
19. C – The pelvic bones in snakes are vestigial, remnants from ancestors with legs.
20. C – Species evolve similar traits through convergent evolution when exposed to similar environments.
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