Lesson 5.6.2

5.6.2 Scientific community and evidence for evolution Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield), Unit 5

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 5.6.2, Scientific community and evidence for evolution: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Biology A (Salters-Nuffield) (9BI0), Unit 5: On the Wild Side, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What is the purpose of peer review in science?

    • To guarantee that every published finding is true
    • To remove the need for experiments in future research
    • To check the quality of new evidence before it is accepted by the scientific community
    • To make sure all papers agree with existing theories without question

  2. Which part of the scientific community helps to validate new evidence for evolution?

    • Only the general public through social media
    • Only the government of each country
    • Only commercial companies with no scientific training
    • Scientific journals and conferences

  3. How do proteomics and genomics support the theory of evolution?

    • By proving that evolution never occurs
    • By measuring only the size of organisms
    • By comparing protein and DNA sequences
    • By showing that all organisms are identical in every gene

  4. Why are similarities in DNA sequences used as evidence for evolution?

    • They show that organisms do not inherit any genes
    • They reflect shared ancestry and relatedness
    • They show that DNA is irrelevant to inheritance
    • They prove that all species have identical genomes

  5. A new fossil is found with features intermediate between two groups. Which step validates it as evidence for evolution?

    • Keeping the fossil private so no one else can examine it
    • Peer-reviewed publication and independent confirmation
    • Accepting it immediately without any checking
    • Using only the fossil's colour as the basis for the claim

  6. What is a scientific theory, as used for evolution?

    • A personal opinion held by a single scientist
    • A fact that cannot be tested or ever changed
    • A guess that has no supporting evidence at all
    • A well-supported explanation backed by much evidence

  7. Why do scientists value conferences as part of validating new evidence?

    • They guarantee that all findings are correct
    • They remove the need for any further testing
    • They let findings be questioned before acceptance
    • They make it unnecessary to publish results in journals

  8. Which evidence from proteomics would be most useful in showing that two species share a common ancestor?

    • Similar amino acid sequences in a shared protein
    • The number of days each species typically lives
    • The colour of the species' skin and fur
    • The size of the species' home range area

  9. What does the scientific community do when new genomic data conflict with an older classification?

    • Destroys the old classification records
    • Evaluates the new data and may revise the classification if it is well supported
    • Stops all research into the species
    • Ignores the data because it conflicts with the older classification

  10. A claim about evolution is published without peer review. What is the main concern?

    • It has not been checked by independent experts
    • The claim is definitely wrong because it was not reviewed
    • The claim is correct because it was published quickly
    • The claim cannot be published under any circumstances

  11. Why is it important that evidence for evolution comes from several independent lines, such as fossils, DNA and proteins?

    • Independent evidence is never useful for science
    • Using several lines of evidence proves evolution is impossible
    • Independent lines of evidence agreeing strengthen it
    • Only one line of evidence can ever be used

  12. Which statement about the role of journals in evolution research is correct?

    • Journals are only used for publishing opinions
    • Journals publish findings without any checking
    • Journals have no role in validating scientific evidence
    • Journals publish peer-reviewed findings for scrutiny

  13. Why do scientists sometimes revise the classification of organisms?

    • Scientists enjoy changing names without reason
    • Classifications are fixed for ever once published
    • New molecular evidence can revise old groupings
    • Classifications are never based on evidence

  14. A new study finds that two species are much more closely related than thought. What is the best next step?

    • Stop all research on those species
    • Test it with independent data and peer review
    • Accept the claim immediately without checking
    • Assume the earlier classification must be right without evidence

  15. Which is an example of proteomics evidence for evolution?

    • Counting the number of leaves on a tree
    • Comparing cytochrome c amino acid sequences
    • Measuring the length of a bird's wings
    • Recording the temperature of a habitat

  16. Why is evidence from genomics considered important in evolutionary biology?

    • Genomes are only found in fossils
    • Whole-genome comparisons reveal the genetic relationships between species
    • Genomes are identical in every species, so they show nothing
    • Genomes do not contain any information about inheritance

  17. How does the scientific community decide whether to accept a new theory of evolution?

    • The theory is never accepted because it changes over time
    • The theory is accepted by a single influential person
    • The theory is accepted once it is popular in the media
    • Evidence is tested, reviewed and confirmed

  18. A student says evolution is just a guess because it has not been proven in every detail. What is the best evaluation?

    • Incorrect, because theories are never tested
    • Correct, because scientific theories are only guesses with no support
    • Incorrect: theories rest on a large body of evidence
    • Correct, because nothing in science can be supported by evidence

  19. What does it mean for a scientific result to be replicated?

    • Other researchers obtain similar results when they repeat the investigation
    • The result is copied from a previous paper without being tested
    • The result changes each time it is tested
    • The result is seen only once and never repeated

  20. Why are fossil evidence and molecular evidence combined in studies of evolutionary relationships?

    • Fossils cannot contain any information about ancestry
    • Each source can check and complement the other
    • Molecular evidence cannot be used alongside fossils
    • Only one source is ever needed to show relationships

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