Organisms and Their Traits

Which trait does a cactus seedling inherit from its parents?

• the amount of water it absorbs

• the length of its spines

• the type of organism that pollinates its flowers

• the number of organisms that consume its fruit

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which is an inherited behavior?

• A dog obeys a command from a trainer.

• A bird builds a nest in order to lay its eggs.

• A hamster runs through a maze to get to the food at the other end.

• A cat goes to the food bowl when its owner walks into the kitchen.

Which human trait is MOST likely inherited from a parent?

• learning to ride a bike

• holding a spoon

• reading a book

• height

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

If a 6’5” tall father and a 5’11” tall mother have a child, which is the most likely possibility for the height of the child?

• 5’1”

• 5’6”

• 5’11”

• 6’11”

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Which of these is an inherited behavior?

• a seal balancing a ball

• a dog getting the newspaper

• a spider spinning a web

• an ape using sign language

Most young animals inherit similar appearances, such as shape and color, from their parent animals. Which best describes why a baby deer (fawn) has spots when the adult deer do not?

• The spots help camouflage the fawn for protection.

• The spots help a fawn to be seen when crossing roads.

• The adult deer lose their spots by rubbing against trees.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A litter of kittens have traits that are similar to both the mother cat and the father cat. Which best explains this situation?

• The kittens are provided the same kind of milk from their mother as they grow.

• The kittens inherit some of their traits from their mother and some from their father.

• The kittens are kept at the same temperatures by their mother when they are first born.

• The kittens are taught by their parents to have similar traits.

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NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Jonathan observes two birds on the beach. One bird has a long, narrow beak while the other bird has a short, thick beak. Which best explains why the two birds have different types of beaks?

• The birds have the same parents.

• The birds live in different environments.

• The birds are members of different species.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A bird eats a brightly-colored insect that tastes bad. The bird avoids preying on this type of insect again. This example is BEST described as

• a physical characteristic.

• a learned behavior.

• an inherited behavior.

Which characteristic of a kitten is an acquired trait due to environmental influences?

• cleaning its ears

• sleeping on a chair

• sharpening its claws

• meowing when it is hungry