Genetics Test Review

Which characteristic is not an inherited trait of a duck?

• a broken foot
• webbed feet
• a yellow beak
• colored feathers

Rachel is a fifth grader with naturally brown hair. Rachel’s mother has naturally blonde hair. Which best explains why Rachel has a different hair color than her mother?

• Rachel dislikes her mother’s hair color.
• Rachel did not inherit any of her characteristics from her mother.
• Rachel inherited the characteristic from her sister, who also has brown hair.
• Rachel inherited characteristics from both parents; some from her mother, and some from her father, who has brown hair.

Which statement most likely explains why Beth was born with black hair?

• Beth’s favorite color is black.
• Beth’s friends have black hair.
• Beth’s parents have black hair.
• Beth’s favorite singer has black hair.

Which is an example of an inherited behavior?

• A dog rolls over for a treat.
• A cat jumps through a hoop.
• A bird builds its nest out of twigs.
• A dog brings his owner a newspaper.

James and Alex are brothers. Their mother has red hair and green eyes, and their father has brown hair and blue eyes. Which best explains why Alex has red hair and blue eyes?

• He inherited characteristics from his brother James.
• He inherited characteristics from only his mother.
• He inherited characteristics from only his father.
• He inherited characteristics from both parents.

Jacob observes two snakes in his yard. One snake has vertical stripes on its back and the other snake has horizontal stripes. Which best explains why the snakes have different appearances?

• The snakes have the same siblings.
• The snakes live in different habitats.
• The snakes are members of different species.
• The snakes search for food in the same environment.

Why does an organism look different from its parents?

• The organism inherits half of its characteristics from the male parent and half from the female parent.
• The organism inherits most of its characteristics from the female parent.
• The organism inherits most of its characteristics from the male parent.
• The organism develops its own set of characteristics after it is born.

Which fact describes an inherited trait of the horned lizards?

• Have flat bodies
• Live in dry areas
• Make nests in sand
• Are a threatened species

Rick’s rabbit gives birth to 5 babies. Two of the babies have a short, black fur coat like the mother. The other three babies have long, brown fur coats. Which is the most likely description of the father’s fur coat?

• long, black coat
• long, brown coat
• short, black coat
• short, brown coat

Which characteristic of a dog is most likely learned from its environment?

• keen eyesight
• begging for food
• ability to run fast
• swimming in water