Speciation and Extinction

What do we call a group of individuals that can reproduce successfully in nature?

• species

• order

• speciation

• mom and dad

When two or more populations no longer successfully reproduce it is called...

• species

• order

• speciation

• a shame

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which are causes of speciation? Choose all that apply

• Isolation caused by mountains, rivers and man-made structures

• preference for different foods

• change in environment

• different mating behaviors

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When a species failed to adapt or compete it is called

• a shame

• speciation

• background extinction

• mating

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of the following can cause mass extinctions? Choose 3

• Volcanoes and earthquakes

• climate change

• sea levels rising

• asteroids

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-ESS3-2

What do humans do that put species at risk? choose 3

• pollution

• deforestation

• overuse of resources

• generate electricity

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NGSS.MS-ESS3-3

NGSS.MS-ESS3-4

Which scenario describes an example of extinction?

• Water pollution kills off all the fish that live in a small pond.

• Every individual in a species is killed by hunters or a lack of food.

• The cutting down of a tree forces a bird to build a new nest in another tree.

• A population of deer must move to a new forest when its original habitat is destroyed by fire.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of these describes a likely reason why a species would become extinct after a major environmental change?

• The environmental change means fewer predators are around.

• There are more homes for the species in the changed environment.

• The change in the environment opens new resources with less competition.

• There are not enough members of the species born with a trait necessary to survive in the new environment.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Which of these could cause a mass extinction?

• a year-long drought

• a week long blizzard

• eutrophication of a pond (so many nutrients enter the pond that the plant growth takes over)

• a major change in global climate

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

House sparrows were introduced to the cold climates of North America in 1852. Since that time, the bodies of sparrows in the north became larger than those of southern sparrows. What is the most likely cause of the change in northern sparrow body size?

• If cold weather increases the rate of mutations in the genome, sparrows can mutate into longer organisms.

• If larger sparrows cannot breed with smaller sparrows, they become isolated and form a new species.

• If smaller sparrows cannot survive as well in cold weather, only sparrows with genes for large bodies will survive.

• If sparrows shiver in the cold and gain muscle mass from the shivering, their body size will increase.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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