Causes of Extinction

What will most likely happen to a species of fish if all the female fish are caught?

• The male fish will move away.
• The male fish will build homes to raise their young.
• The species will not survive.
• The young fish will starve.

The snail darter is a small fish that used to live in the Little Tennessee River. In 1978, a dam was built on the river.  How did the dam most likely affect the snail darter?

• The dam did not affect the darters in the river.
• The dam changed the climate of the area.
• The dam changed the darter's habitat.
• The number of darters increased.

Which of these describes a species that has become extinct?

• fewer members of the species are dying than being born
• more members of the species are dying than being born
• very few members of a species are alive
• all members of a species have died

What would most likely happen if a bird species had fewer and fewer offspring each year?

• The species would move to another ecosystem.
• There would be too many birds.
• The species would become endangered.
• Predators of the species would increase in number.

The Florida panther is a large cat related to lions. Panthers eat deer, rodents, and farmers' livestock. Panthers once lived in Tennessee. Which of these most likely caused panthers to disappear from Tennessee?

• Panthers in Tennessee were unable to reproduce.
• People hunted panthers and destroyed their habitats.
• Natural predators killed and ate all the panthers in Tennessee.
• Panthers in Tennessee ran out of food. 

Which of these would most likely threaten the survival of a species?

• A common animal species is hunted.
• A plant species is farmed as a crop.
• Members of an endangered species reproduce.
• A species has fewer and fewer offspring.

Adelie penguins live in large groups in Antarctica. They lay their eggs in dry, rocky areas. These areas can be flooded when snow melts. According to the text, which of these is the greatest threat to Adelie penguins?

• new predators moving into the area
• competition from other Adelie penguins
• rising temperatures in the penguins' habitat
• people polluting and building in the penguins' habitat

Which of the following species is extinct?

• woolly mammoth
• giant panda
• bald eagle
• green sea turtle

Which of the following is NOT a reason a species may become extinct?

• competition
• reproducing
• habitat loss
• overhunting

Suppose a pond dries up. What will most likely happen to the fish that lived there?

• They will learn to live on land.
• They will move to another pond.
• They will learn to breathe air.
• They will not survive.