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?

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?

Most mice living on the mainland of Florida are brown, but the mice that live on the sand dunes of the barrier islands have white fur. The differences in color are heritable, determined by genes such as MC1R. It is intuitive that the light color of beach-dwelling mice is an adaptation for blending into their environment—and thus evading predators.Compare how evolution by inheritance of acquired characters and the theory of evolution by natural selection would explain the observation of white mice living primarily on light soil and brown mice living primarily on dark soil.

Most mice living on the mainland of Florida are brown, but the mice that live on the sand dunes of the barrier islands have white fur. The differences in color are heritable, determined by genes such as MC1R. It is intuitive that the light color of beach-dwelling mice is an adaptation for blending into their environment—and thus evading predators.What is an evolutionary adaptation?a. a trait that improves the fitness of its bearer, compared with individuals without the traitb. a trait that changes in response to environmental influences within the individual's lifetimec. the ability of an individual to adjust to its environmentd. 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?