NumicornNumicornLearn, solve, progress

Natural Selection and Adaptation Practice Tests

These Grade 8 Science practice tests cover inherited variation, mutations, natural selection, fitness, environmental pressures, adaptations, artificial selection, common ancestry, population change, and evidence from DNA, fossils, anatomy, and geography.

Skills covered

  • Connecting inherited variation to survival and reproductive success
  • Explaining how environmental pressures change trait frequencies in populations
  • Distinguishing individual responses from population-level evolution
  • Using fossils, DNA, anatomy, and biogeography as evolutionary evidence
  • Interpreting graphs, models, investigations, and adaptation examples

How to use these practice tests

Identify the population, inherited trait, environmental condition, and reproductive outcome in each question. Then decide whether the evidence supports natural selection, adaptation, common ancestry, or another population process.

For more Grade 8 Science practice, return to the Grade 8 Science category.

Select a test

5 Tests
1. Test2. Test3. Test4. Test5. Test

5. Test

Grade 8 Natural Selection and Adaptation Practice Tests

Practice Grade 8 Science questions about inherited variation, natural selection, adaptations, common ancestry, population change, and evolutionary evidence.

Choose the best answer. Identify inherited variation, environmental pressures, population changes, and the evidence that supports each conclusion.

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

Why can bacteria become resistant to a medicine over time?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is Inherited resistant variants survive treatment and reproduce more successfully..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Treatment creates a selection pressure that can increase preexisting or newly arising inherited resistance.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Inherited resistant variants survive treatment and reproduce more successfully..

Treatment creates a selection pressure that can increase preexisting or newly arising inherited resistance.

2. QuestionMultiple choice

How can farmers use artificial selection?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is They can breed plants or animals with desired inherited traits..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Human breeding choices can increase desired inherited characteristics in later generations.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is They can breed plants or animals with desired inherited traits..

Human breeding choices can increase desired inherited characteristics in later generations.

3. QuestionMultiple choice

Why can maintaining genetic diversity help a population?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is It increases the chance that some individuals have traits useful when conditions change..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Genetic diversity provides variation that may help a population respond to new diseases, climates, or predators.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is It increases the chance that some individuals have traits useful when conditions change..

Genetic diversity provides variation that may help a population respond to new diseases, climates, or predators.

4. QuestionMultiple choice

What is one risk of a population with very little genetic variation?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is A new disease or environmental change may affect many individuals similarly..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Low variation can reduce the number of potentially helpful inherited differences available to selection.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is A new disease or environmental change may affect many individuals similarly..

Low variation can reduce the number of potentially helpful inherited differences available to selection.

5. QuestionMultiple choice

Why can conservation programs protect several populations instead of one small group?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is Larger and more varied populations can preserve genetic diversity and reduce extinction risk..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Protecting multiple populations can preserve different adaptations and reduce the effect of local disasters.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Larger and more varied populations can preserve genetic diversity and reduce extinction risk..

Protecting multiple populations can preserve different adaptations and reduce the effect of local disasters.

6. QuestionMultiple choice

How can a changing environment affect an existing adaptation?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is A trait that was helpful may become less helpful, neutral, or harmful under new conditions..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: The value of a trait depends on environmental conditions and can change when those conditions change.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is A trait that was helpful may become less helpful, neutral, or harmful under new conditions..

The value of a trait depends on environmental conditions and can change when those conditions change.

7. QuestionMultiple choice

What does coevolution describe?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: C

The correct answer is Two interacting species influence each others evolutionary changes over time..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Predator-prey, host-parasite, and plant-pollinator interactions can create reciprocal selection pressures.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Two interacting species influence each others evolutionary changes over time..

Predator-prey, host-parasite, and plant-pollinator interactions can create reciprocal selection pressures.

8. QuestionMultiple choice

Why does evolution not always produce a perfect organism?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: D

The correct answer is Selection works with existing variation and is limited by trade-offs, history, and the environment..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Evolution is shaped by available variation, constraints, trade-offs, and changing environmental conditions.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Selection works with existing variation and is limited by trade-offs, history, and the environment..

Evolution is shaped by available variation, constraints, trade-offs, and changing environmental conditions.

9. QuestionMultiple choice

Which statement best connects natural selection and adaptation?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: A

The correct answer is Natural selection can increase inherited traits that improve fitness, causing populations to become better suited to an environment..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Adaptation is a population outcome that can result when selection increases helpful inherited variation across generations.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Natural selection can increase inherited traits that improve fitness, causing populations to become better suited to an environment..

Adaptation is a population outcome that can result when selection increases helpful inherited variation across generations.

10. QuestionMultiple choice

What is the strongest conclusion from evidence of similar traits, DNA, fossils, and geographic patterns?

Please select an answer first.

Correct answer: B

The correct answer is Multiple lines of evidence can support common ancestry and evolutionary change..

  1. Identify the population and trait: Determine which inherited variation, environmental condition, or reproductive pattern is being described.
  2. Connect the evidence to selection: Independent evidence from anatomy, molecules, fossils, and biogeography can converge on the same evolutionary explanation.
  3. Check the population result: The correct choice is Multiple lines of evidence can support common ancestry and evolutionary change..

Independent evidence from anatomy, molecules, fossils, and biogeography can converge on the same evolutionary explanation.

Previous testNext test