Natural Selection and Adaptations

What is the advantage of having different shaped beaks?

• To look different from other species.
• To be able to eat the food readily available in the environment.
• To protect itself against predators.
• To protect itself against prey.

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The theory of evolution by natural selection means that what is changing over time?

• The inherited traits of a population.
• The acquired traits of a population.
• Hair color and eye color
• Attractive features.

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Why are advantageous traits more likely to be passed onto offspring?

• Because they are more likely to survive and reproduce.
• Because they come from dominant alleles.
• Because they come from recessive alleles.
• Because the trait is an acquired phenotype.

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What word describes a trait that helps an organism survive in its environment?

• natural selection

• mutation

• camouflage

• adaptation

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Which organisms are most likely to survive?

• the best adapted
• the fastest
• the strongest
• the most domesticated (tamed)

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The differences among a species, like different bird beaks, are called

• genes.
• variations.
• traits.
• theories.

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The trees these moths used to live on were white, but have been covered in soot from coal factories. Which moth will be more successful in this environment?

• Dark moth
• Light moth
• Both will be equally successful
• Neither will be successful

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Since the 1800s humans have stopped burning coal, and the trees have returned to their original color. Which moth will be more successful in this environment?

• Dark moth
• Light moth
• Both will be equally successful
• Neither will be successful

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Why is the mouse population changing over time?

• The light mice can reproduce more successfully than the dark mice
• The hawks eat more dark mice than light mice because the dark mice taste better
• The hawks eat more light mice than dark mice because they can see the light mice more easily
• The hawks eat more dark mice than light mice because they can see the dark mice more easily

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Which best describes the role of mutations in natural selection?

• Mutations help an organism to better survive in their environment
• An organism may acquire a helpful mutation by interacting with the environment
• A mutation may result in an adaptive trait that makes an organism more likely to survive and reproduce
• Organisms with certain traits are more likely to win competitions for mutations

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