Natural Selection and Selective Breeding Quick Check

1.  Study the picture to the left. A population of insects is sprayed with a new insecticide. Most of the insects are killed but a few survive. In the next generation, spraying continues, but many more of the insects are unaffected by the insecticide than the first spraying. Which of the following BEST explains these results?

• The insecticide caused a mutation in the species
• A few insects in the first population were immune and passed this trait to their offspring
• a.  The insecticide caused a side effect of immunity that was passed on to the next generation of insects. The insects learned to fight off the insecticide.

1.  A farmer noticed that some of her sunflower plants were healthy but most of the plants were infested with worms that were killing plants. How could the farmer use selective breeding to try to produce a greater number of healthy plants next season? Choose best answer:

• Use plants that require less sunlight
• Use plants that are distasteful to bugs
• Plant only seeds from the healthy plants
• Plant only seeds that require less water from growth.

Which of the following statements best describes what will most likely occur to the moth populations in the image below?

• The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of dark moths will rise.
• The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of light moths will rise
• The dark moths will be captured by predators more easily than the light moths, and the dark moths will probably go extinct.
• The light moths will change their wing color to match that of the dark moths.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

What is the most likely explanation of the data shown below?

• There has been a drought in the area that is affecting all life forms
• The population of natural predators of the moths has gotten smaller.
• The moths are living in an environment with light trees.
• The moths are living in an environment with dark trees.

Suppose a certain species of insect lives in the lush green canopy of the rain forest. Some of the insects are bright green in color, and some are bright yellow. Assume there is a natural predator of the insect in the area. What do you expect to happen to the populations of the green and the yellow insects over time?

• The green insect population will increase and the yellow insect population will decrease.
• The green insect population will decrease and the yellow insect population will increase
• Both insect populations will remain constant over time.
• Both insect populations will increase over time.

Use the following table to answer the next question. A farmer wants to create a watermelon that is sweet tasting but has a low quantity of seeds.  Which plants should the farmer select to cross to get the desired set of characteristics?

• 1 and 2
• 2 and 4
• 1 and 4
• 2 and 4

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Use the following table to answer the next question. A farmer wants to grow extra-large, sweet oranges.  Which plants should the farmer select to cross to get the desired set of characteristics?

• 1 and 2
• 2 and 4
• 1 and 3 
• 4 and 5

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

What is a GMO?

• A genetically modified organism
• An organism with altered DNA
• An organism developed by scientists to have desired traits
• All of the above

Evidence shows that the wolf is the ancestor to all of the breeds of dogs shown below. How did this variation arise in a relatively short period of time?

• A.  Genetic manipulation
• Natural selection
• Random chance
• Selective breeding

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What is one way selective breeding is DIFFERENT from natural selection?
(Selective breeding is also called artificial selection.)

• Selective breeding does not produce any offspring at all.
• Humans, not nature, control reproduction in selective breeding.
• Nature, not humans, controls reproduction in selective breeding.
• Animals are the only organisms that can be selectively bred, while both plants and animals can undergo natural selection.