Natural Selection & Adaptation

Peppered Moth: The peppered moth is a moth in England that is whitish in color with black spots. The trees where they lived were the same, whitish with black spots. The moths that were black with white spots were easily found and eaten by birds. During the industrial revolution, when coal was burned pollution increased making the skies darker. What do you think happened to the moth population during this time period?

• Nothing happened, the numbers remained the same.

• The moths that were whitish were spotted easier and their numbers went down and the black moth couldn’t be spotted so their numbers went up.

• The moths had trouble finding food in the darker skies so they starved and went extinct.

• The blackish moths were more susceptible to the pollution and died at a greater rate.

Favorable traits are traits that promote an organism's success in a particular environment. Organisms with favorable traits are more likely to thrive, survive, and reproduce than organisms without favorable traits. Over time, favorable traits are likely to ________ within a population and unfavorable traits are likely to ________ within a population.

• increase (1st blank)

  decrease (2nd blank)

• decrease (1st blank)

  increase (2nd blank)

The graph below shows the amount of butterflies in a generation living in a small part of a forest. What can you conclude about the forest where the butterflies live?

• The forest has many green plants so the green butterflies blend in and survive.

• The forest has yellow flowers, so the yellow butterflies will get stronger over time.

• The forest is dying so the yellow and orange butterflies will get stronger..

• The red and orange butterflies don’t like the forest and fly out.

In the Arctic circle lives the arctic hare. It is a form of rabbit that has white thick fur and 20% of its body is taken up by fat, which is used for insulation from the cold. They have a low metabolic rate which enables them to save energy. Their white fur is highly reflective that keeps them cool in the summer months. They are different sizes based on where they live, if they live farther from the arctic circle, they are heavier and larger in size. The size varies from winter to summer, getting larger in the summer when there is more to eat. Their white fur gives them camouflage from their predators, foxes, wolves, mountain lions and hawks.Their fur also changes color in the spring to brown and gray to help camouflage.

The climate of the Arctic is changing and getting warmer. This leads to longer springs and summer temperatures with less snow. What can you predict will happen to the Arctic hare population in five generations if the earth keeps warming?

• Nothing will happen. The hare population will stay the same.

• The numbers will decrease as they have adapted to have white fur in the winter and there will be less snow in the winter making them easier to spot by their predators.

• The hare population will increase because there will be more food around for them to eat and they can breed more.

• The hare population will decrease because they will get fat from all of the food and won’t be able to run away from predators.

What is biodiversity?

• All the different species found on earth, including insects, plants, animals, microorganisms, the genetic information they carry, and the ecosystems they form.

• All the different species found on earth, but doesn’t include the microorganisms.

• All the microorganisms, but not the plants and animals.

• All the different organisms, excluding humans.

Arizona has many invasive species. Invasive species are species that have been brought into a habitat that they were not in before and have a harmful effect on the biodiversity and health of the area. The following is an example of an invasive species. Red-eared Sliders: The Red-eared slider is a turtle native to the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Cumberland Valleys of the U.S. Starting in the 1940s the turtle spread west primarily through purposeful releases and pet escapes. Like other invasive animals, red eared slider turtles are highly adaptable and aggressive eaters. Because they are omnivores, eating a wide variety of plant and animal foods throughout their entire life cycle, they have caused imbalances in their new habitats. They are especially known to target dragonflies and their larvae and nesting birds and their eggs. In addition, they can mate with native turtles, creating hybrids that damage the integrity of native species and bring in new pathogens to native animals. Red-eared sliders are very popular pets for households and classrooms. Because they are an invasive species in Arizona, it is crucial that they not be released into the wild. If you have a turtle that you can no longer take care of, give it to someone else who will not release it or return it to the pet store where you purchased it.” (University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Science) What effect does the Red-eared slider have on the biodiversity of Arizona’s wetlands?

• They eat plants thus causing the native plants to die.

• They eat insects, especially dragonflies and their larvae.

• They eat bird eggs.

• All of the above.

The data table below shows a student's results of using different types of tools or “beaks” to pick up different types of materials or “food”. Based on this data, what type of beak would survive if the food available was rubber bands?

• Spoon

• Binder Clip

• Tweezers

• Scissors

Black squirrels are the same species as gray squirrels. A single litter of squirrels can have both black and gray squirrels. Over the past century, the percent of squirrels in the vicinity of Washington, DC, that are black instead of the more common gray has been continually increasing. Which of the following statements best explains why this is happening?

• Black squirrels have a survival advantage over gray squirrels.

• Black squirrels are more visible against tree trunks than gray squirrels.

• Gray squirrels are more comfortable with humans than black squirrels.

• Black squirrels are more popular with tourists than gray squirrels.