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Natural Selection Practice Tests

These Grade 7 Science practice tests build understanding of variation, adaptation, natural selection, evolution, population change, and evidence from fossils, anatomy, DNA, and ecological observations.

Skills covered

  • Explaining how inherited variation and environmental pressures affect survival and reproduction
  • Distinguishing adaptations, acquired traits, natural selection, artificial selection, and genetic drift
  • Using evidence from fossils, homologous structures, DNA, and geographic isolation
  • Connecting selection pressures to population changes across generations
  • Applying natural selection concepts to resistance, camouflage, climate, and biodiversity examples

How to use these practice tests

For each question, identify the population variation first. Then decide whether the trait is inherited, how the environment affects success, and what population-level change is expected over generations.

For more Grade 7 Science practice, return to the Grade 7 Science category.

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Grade 7 Natural Selection Practice Tests

Practice Grade 7 Science natural selection questions about variation, adaptation, selection pressures, evolution, and population change.

Choose the best answer for each question. Review the explanation after submitting your answers.

10 Questions
0/10 Questions0 %
Correct 0
Incorrect 0
Unanswered 10
1. QuestionMultiple choice

Why can producing more offspring than an environment can support lead to competition?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is Individuals must compete for limited food, space, water, or mates..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Limited resources mean that organisms may compete, and not all offspring will survive to reproduce.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Limited resources mean that organisms may compete, and not all offspring will survive to reproduce.

2. QuestionMultiple choice

What is competition in an ecosystem?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is The struggle among organisms for limited resources.

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Organisms may compete for resources such as food, water, shelter, territory, or mates.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Organisms may compete for resources such as food, water, shelter, territory, or mates.

3. QuestionMultiple choice

If the climate becomes much colder, what could happen to a population?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is Individuals with inherited traits that improve cold survival may reproduce more..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: A changed environment can alter selection pressures and favor inherited traits that improve survival under the new conditions.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

A changed environment can alter selection pressures and favor inherited traits that improve survival under the new conditions.

4. QuestionMultiple choice

How can antibiotic use contribute to antibiotic resistance in bacteria?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is It can eliminate susceptible bacteria while resistant bacteria survive and reproduce..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Antibiotics create a selection pressure; resistant bacteria are more likely to survive and pass on resistance alleles.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Antibiotics create a selection pressure; resistant bacteria are more likely to survive and pass on resistance alleles.

5. QuestionMultiple choice

What is the likely result when a pesticide kills susceptible insects but resistant insects survive?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is The resistant insects can become a larger proportion of the population..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Surviving resistant insects reproduce, so resistance can increase in frequency across generations.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Surviving resistant insects reproduce, so resistance can increase in frequency across generations.

6. QuestionMultiple choice

How can different beak shapes in finches be related to natural selection?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Different food sources can favor beak shapes that obtain particular foods more effectively..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: When inherited beak differences affect feeding success, local food conditions can favor one shape over another.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

When inherited beak differences affect feeding success, local food conditions can favor one shape over another.

7. QuestionMultiple choice

Which statement is not an example of natural selection?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is An individual develops larger muscles through exercise and passes those acquired muscles directly to offspring..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Acquired muscles are not normally encoded as an inherited DNA change passed directly to offspring.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Acquired muscles are not normally encoded as an inherited DNA change passed directly to offspring.

8. QuestionMultiple choice

What must be present for natural selection to change a population?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is Heritable variation among individuals.

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Natural selection requires inherited differences that can affect survival or reproductive success.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Natural selection requires inherited differences that can affect survival or reproductive success.

9. QuestionMultiple choice

Why can fossils provide evidence for evolution?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is They show organisms and body forms from different times in Earth's history..

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Fossils provide a historical record that can reveal changes, transitional forms, and extinct species.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Fossils provide a historical record that can reveal changes, transitional forms, and extinct species.

10. QuestionMultiple choice

What does a common ancestor represent?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is An earlier population or species from which related groups descended.

  1. Identify the variation: Determine which inherited difference, environmental condition, or population pattern the question describes.
  2. Connect the variation to selection: Related species can share inherited features because they descended from an earlier common population.
  3. Check the population outcome: Natural selection changes how common inherited traits are across generations when those traits affect survival or reproduction.

Related species can share inherited features because they descended from an earlier common population.

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