Natural Selection Graphs

Scientists measured the spot size of guppies (small fish) in two different populations. Which population has more guppies with large spots?

• They both have the same number of guppies with large spots.

• The population in Brazil has more guppies with large spots.

• The population in Venezuela has more guppies with large spots.

• These bar graphs do not show which population has more guppies with large spots.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

If their environment changes to have only long flowers, which of the following hummingbird populations will most likely survive?

• Only population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.

• All the populations will survive because the hummingbirds will change the length of their beaks if they need to.

• Populations 1 and 2 will survive.

• Populations 2 and 3 will survive.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Scientists measured the spot size of all the guppies (small fish) that lived in a river 40 years ago. They measured the spot size of the guppy population again last year. When was there more variation in the spot size of guppies in the river?

• These bar graphs do not show the amount of variation in the population.

• There was the same amount of variation in spot size 40 years ago and last year.

• There was more variation 40 years ago.

• There was more variation last year.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In this diagram, which insect has the favorable trait, or is well adapted to in its environment?

• light insect

• dark insect

• green insect

• purple insect

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What does this picture model?

• Extinction of the horse

• Evolution of the horse

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which of the following statements is true based on the graph?

• Species 1 is better adapted to live with species 2

• Species 1 is better adapted to live without species 2

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-2

Which is true according to the graph?

• Between month 1 and month 5, the population size was zero.

• Between month 4 and month 6, a predator was introduced into the ecosystem and increased the death rate.

• Between month 5 and month 7, the birth rates decreased and the death rates increased.

• Between month 8 and month 12, the population size showed a drastic decrease

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NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Harbor seals live in northern oceans and a have layer of blubber (fat) that keeps them warm. Seals can have blubber of different thicknesses. Seals with thicker blubber are more likely to stay warm and survive in cold ocean waters. But, in warm ocean waters, thicker blubber can make the seals overheat and die. The diagrams below show three possible seal populations. If their environment changes to have warm water, which of the following seal populations will most likely survive?

• Populations 1 and 2 will most likely survive.

• Populations 2 and 3 will most likely survive.

• Only Population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.

• All the populations will survive because the seals will change the thickness of their blubber if they need to.

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Scientists measured the spine size of a population of cactuses found in an area in 1970. They measured the spine size of the cactus population again in 2015. Which of the statements below best describes the difference in the cactuses at the two time points?

• The cactuses in 1970 had smaller spines than the cactuses in 2015.

• The cactuses in 1970 had larger spines than the cactuses in 2015.

• There were more cactuses in 1970 than there were in 2015.

• There was more variation in spine size in 1970 than there was in 2015.

Blue jays are birds that live in the forest. They can have thick beaks, medium beaks, or thin beaks. Blue jays use their beaks to get to the seeds they eat. Blue jays with thinner beaks can easily reach and eat the seeds inside pinecones. Blue jays with thicker beaks can easily open and eat seeds with hard shells. The population of blue jays shown above lives in an environment that has always had seeds with hard shells. Could there ever have been blue jays with thin beaks in this population?

• No blue jays could have been born with a thin-beak trait because none of the adult blue jays had that trait to pass down.

• No blue jays could have been born with a thin-beak trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to have pine cones with seeds.

• A blue jay could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-beak trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.

• A blue jay could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-beak trait, but having a mutation in its genes would have caused it to die when it was born.

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NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4