Inherited Traits vs. Learned Behaviors

A teacher is setting up the terrarium shown in a science classroom. Which of these organisms is best suited for the terrarium?

• Blue jay
• Lobster
• Snail
• Water lily

The life cycles of a butterfly and a chigger are shown. How is the life cycle of chiggers different from the life cycle of butterflies?

• Chigger larvae have legs.
• Chiggers have a nymph phase.
• Chiggers go through metamorphosis.
• Chigger larvae hatch from eggs.

The ocotillo is a desert plant with long, straight branches. Its leaves are small and appear for only a short time after a rain. Most of the time, the branches of the ocotillo do not have leaves. Maple trees grow in areas where water is more abundant than in the desert. Maple leaves can be very large and are present for most months of the year. Ocotillo plants are better adapted for surviving in the desert than maple trees because the characteristics of ocotillo leaves...

• allow more sunlight to reach the soil
• prevent the plant from producing flowers
• encourage the release of carbon dioxide from the stems
• reduce the amount of water lost through evaporation

A prickly pear cactus is shown. The roots of the prickly pear cactus spread out in a wide underground network. How does this type of root system benefit a prickly pear cactus?

• By producing fruit and storing water
• By capturing sunlight and getting rid of waste materials
• By absorbing water and supporting the plant in loose, sandy soil
• By releasing nutrients into the sandy soil and taking in oxygen

Which of these is a learned behavior of a dog?

• Begging for food
• Drinking water
• Panting on a hot day
• Chewing on a bone

Most kangaroos have large heavy tails, while spider  monkeys have long, thin tails. Kangaroo tails are useful when the kangaroos are hopping and also when they are crawling around on the ground to feed. Spider monkey tails are useful when the spider monkeys are moving through trees. Both of these animals use their tails primarily for...

• grabbing and holding their food
• supporting and balancing their body
• attracting the attention of other animals
• carrying their young

At which stage in the life cycle of a plant are seeds produced?

• A
• B
• C
• D

Fox squirrels live in the trees of city parks throughout Texas. Each spring they build nests of twigs and leaves in the tops of the trees. Fox squirrels are often found near park benches, waiting to be fed by visitors. For fox squirrels, which of these is a learned behavior?

• Building a nest each spring
• Taking food from people
• Having a long, bushy tail
• Having sharp claws

A scientist observes sea otters using rocks to break open clamshells. Which of these investigations would best help the scientist determine whether this skill is a learned or an inherited behavior?

• Determining what sizes and kinds of rocks are used most often by sea otters
• Determining whether shellfish are an important food source in the diet of sea otters
• Raising young sea otters away from adult otters that use rocks and observing whether the young otters use rocks
• Observing families of sea otters over time to see whether adults that use rocks have offspring that use rocks

Which two traits best help a cactus conserve water in the dry conditions of a West Texas desert ecosystem?

• Large flowers and sweet fruit
• Sweet fruit and sharp spines
• Sharp spines and waxy stems
• Waxy stems and large flowers