Green Group discussion

Origin of Species is one of the most influental book in the History of Science . The scientific theory of evolution has itself evolved since Darwin's contributions, but natural selection remains the most widely accepted scientific model of how species evolve.

Take this new quizz about Charles Darwin's theory and find out !

PART 1-

I. In a scientific context what does the term 'survival of the fittest' mean?


1. The organisms which are best adapted to their environment will survive the longest

2. The organisms which are best adapted to their environment will survive the longest and have a greater number of offspring who are likely to inherit their advantageous traits

3. The organisms which can procreate the earliest have the best chance of survival

4. Good-looking organisms live longer than ugly organisms


II. Which missing part of Darwin's theory of evolution did Gregor Mendel explain with his experiments crossbreeding pea plants?

1. How variations within species occur

2. How to breed fitter organisms

3. The process by which animals and plants pass down traits to their offspring

4. How an organism develops traits to make them better suited to their environment


III. " On the Origin of the Species " includes a drawing of Darwin's 'tree of life', a metaphor to explain the evolutionary relationships between different species. What do scientists now say Darwin got wrong in his tree of life?

1. All life did not descend from a simple common ancestor

2. Evolution occurs in far fewer generations than Darwin originally suspected

3. Swapping traits or crossbreeding between different species is far more common than Darwin thought

4. All of the above

PART 2 -

IV. A more complete title of Darwin's book was On the Origin of Species by Means of…

1. Natural Selection

2. Native Selection

3. Naive Selection

4. Natural Seduction

V. Darwin wasn't the first scientist to come up with a theory of evolution. Which scientific predecessor of Darwin argued that an organism can pass on beneficial characteristics it acquires during its lifetime to its offspring?

1. Charles Lyell

2. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

3. Georges Cuvier

4. Joseph Dalton Hooker

VI. While studying variation among related species on different islands in the Galapagos, Darwin struck the core of what would become his theory of evolution. Which of the following animals was crucial to Darwin's discovery?

1. Beagle

2. Turtle

3. Finch

4. Porpoise

VII. Which of the following Australian cities did Darwin NOT visit when he came to Australia in 1836 during his voyage on the HMS Beagle?

1. Sydney

2. Hobart

3. Albany

4. Darwin