The geneticist James Crow wrote that successful scientific theories have the following characteristics: (1) They explain otherwise puzzling observations; (2) they provide connections between otherwise disparate observations; (3) they make predictions that can be tested; and (4) they are heuristic, meaning that they open up new avenues of theory and experimentation. Crow added two other elements of scientific theories that he considered important on a personal, emotional level: (5) They should be elegant, in the sense of being simple and powerful; and (6) they should have an element of surprise. How well does the theory of evolution by natural selection fulfill these six criteria?

The similarity in skin color among different human populations appears to be primarily the result of:

a. Natural selection

b. Convergent evolution

c. Which biological race they belong to

d. A and B are correct

e. A, B, and C are correct

A species of crayfish that lives in caves produces eyestalks like its above-ground relatives, but has no eyes. Eyestalks in cave-dwelling crayfish are thus ________.

a. An evolutionary error

b. A dominant mutation

c. Biogeographical evidence of evolution

d. A vestigial trait

e. Evidence that evolutionary theory may be incorrect

When H₂ and CO₂ react, acetic acid can be formed spontaneously while the production of formaldehyde requires an input of energy. Which of these conclusions can be drawn from this observation?

a. More heat is released when formaldehyde is produced compared to the production of acetic acid.

b. Compared to the reactants that it is formed from, formaldehyde has more potential energy than does acetic acid.

c. Entropy decreases when acetic acid is produced and increases when formaldehyde is produced.

d. Only acetic acid could be produced under conditions that existed in early Earth.

Which of the following taxonomic levels contains organisms that share the most recent common ancestor?

a. Family

b. Order

c. Phylum

d. Genus

e. Class

From what you have learned about water, why do coastal regions tend to have milder climates with cooler summers and warmer winters than do inland areas at the same latitude?

What is an evolutionary adaptation?

a. A trait that improves the fitness of its bearer, compared with individuals without the trait

b. A trait that changes in response to environmental influences within the individual's lifetime

c. The ability of an individual to adjust to its environment

d. A trait that an individual wants so that it can survive

How can the Darwinian concept of descent with modification explain the evolution of such complex structures as an eye?