Natural Selection

Over time, the climate of an island became drier, which resulted in changes to the populations of various island finch species. Finch populations with a certain beak shape thrived, while those not having that beak shape decreased. Which of the following describes a necessary condition for these changes in the finch populations to occur?

• fewer mutations
• limited food resources
• limited beak variations
• overproduction of offspring

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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Which of the following best illustrates natural selection?

• An organism with favorable genetic variations will tend to survive and breed successfully. 
• A population monopolizes all of the resources in its habitat, forcing other species to migrate.
• A community whose members work together utilizing all existing resources and migratory routes.
• The largest organisms in a species receive the only breeding opportunities.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

 According to fossil records, the horses that lived 50 million years ago were much smaller, weaker and slower than modern horses. Which process is most likely responsible for the changes that have led to the increased size, strength, and speed in horses?

• commensalism
•  inbreeding
• migration 
• evolution by natural selection

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Adaptations can be:

• camouflage

• ability to survive cold weather

• hunting skills

• all of the above

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Natural selection occurs during the lifetime of a single organism.

• True

• False

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What is most likely to happen to moth populations in the picture shown?

• Light moths--hunted easily, dark moths--population increase

• Dark moths--hunted easily, dark moths--population increase

• Light moths--hunted easily, light moths--population increase

• Lights moths will change their color to match dark moths.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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TRUE or FALSE: Natural selection will still occur if individuals are exactly the same.

• TRUE

• FALSE

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How do you "win" at natural selection?

• survive

• go extinct

• survive & reproduce

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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Due to pollution, a pond becomes darker over time. Which trait variation became more common?

• light fish

• dark fish

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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Where the better adapted organisms survive to pass traits along to offspring.

• Evolution
• Natural Selection
• Extinction
• Artifical Selection

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