Amplify Natural Selection Histogram

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

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.

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NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Scientists measured the height of giraffes in two populations—one in the wild and one in a nature preserve. Which statement best describes the difference between the two populations?

• There is more variation in height of the giraffes found in the wild.

• There is more variation in height of the giraffes found in the nature preserve.

• The giraffes in the wild are mostly shorter than the giraffes found in the nature preserve.

• The giraffes in the wild are mostly taller than the giraffes found in the nature preserve.

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Scientists measured the beak length of a population of birds in a lake in 1960. They measured the beak length of the bird population again in 2010. What do the graphs show you about the variation in the beak lengths of the birds by the lake?

• There was the same amount of variation in 1960 and in 2010.

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

• There was more variation in 2010.

• There was more variation in 1960.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How did the color of the trees in the squirrels’ environment change? Explain what happened to the squirrels over many generations.

• The squirrel's environment will did not change, the trees stayed the same color. New Squirrels were born, with the black fur on squirrels reproducing's more rapidly.

• The squirrels’ environment changed to have lots of black trees. At some point, a brown or a gray squirrel had a baby with a mutation for the black-fur trait. It was easier for that baby to survive, so it lived a long time and reproduced. It passed down its mutant black-fur trait to some of its offspring. Over many generations, these black squirrels had more offspring with black fur, so black fur became the most common trait. Most brown and gray squirrels died before they could have offspring, so, over time, fewer brown and gray squirrels were born, and those traits became less common.

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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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What is the primary mechanism by which natural selection amplifies certain traits in a population?

• Genetic drift

• Mutation

• Survival of the fittest

• Random mating

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In a histogram representing the distribution of a trait in a population, what does the peak of the histogram indicate?

• The most common trait value

• The least common trait value

• The average trait value

• The range of trait values

Which of the following experiments would best demonstrate natural selection in a laboratory setting?

• Breeding fruit flies with different wing sizes and observing changes over generations

• Mixing different species of bacteria in a petri dish

• Cross-pollinating different species of plants

• Observing the behavior of animals in a zoo

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How does a histogram help in understanding the effects of natural selection on a population?

• It shows the genetic makeup of individuals

• It displays the frequency distribution of traits

• It predicts future evolutionary changes

• It identifies the cause of mutations

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