Charles Darwin III: Descent with modification

A phylogenetic tree is an illustration of an evolutionary pathway, especially the pedigree or genealogy of an individual species.

• a.true
• b.false

Darwin's concept of phylogeny eventually replaced the Creationist's notion of

• a.Recapitulation.
• b.Scale of Nature.
• c.Survival of the Fittest.
• d.Descent with Modification.

The tree model as an illustration of evolution is more accurate than the ladder model because it

• a.assumes a straight-line direction of change.
• b.reveals that extinction is not possible.
• c.shows a hierarchy of animals, from lowest to highest.
• d.shows how biodiversity can be generated.

Before Darwin, one idea that was missing from people’s thoughts on evolution was that

• a.adaptation only occurred in the Galapagos.
• b.the term could describe different processes.
• c.all species are linked through their ancestries.
• d.evolution no longer occurs naturally.

The key to understanding why some species form clusters of similar organisms is that

• a.they tend to be adapted to similar ecological conditions.
• b.they are made up of closely related individuals.
• c.they are phylogenetic groupings.
• d.they all eat similar foods.

Darwin chose to use the term “descent with modification” instead of evolution because evolution

• a.had two meanings at the time, one connected to growth and one connected to change over time.
• b.as a term did not exist in Darwin's time; it was invented in 1932.
• c.was a French word, unfamiliar to Darwin's English audience.
• d.was used by Creationists to explain biodiversity.

Which concept gave an explanation for biodiversity and the “natural order” of living things?

• a.descent with modification
• b.natural selection
• c.transmutation
• d.scale of nature