Programme For International Student Assessment Pisa / Sample Science Passage 11: Evolution


Most horses today are streamlined and can run fast. 

Scientists have found the fossil skeletons of animals that are similar to horses. They consider them to be  the ancestors of the present-day horse. The scientists have also been able to determine the period during  which the fossil species were living. 

The table below provides information on three of these fossils and on the present-day horse. 





Which one of the following statements best applies to the scientific theory of evolution?

Evolution is a theory that has been proven to be true by scientific experiments.
The theory cannot be believed because it is not possible to see species changing.
Evolution is a scientific theory that is currently based on extensive evidence.
The theory of evolution is possible for animals but cannot be applied to humans.