5.10 Traits

All of the following are inherited traits in a coyote EXCEPT –

• growing tan fur

• having sharp teeth

• seeing well

• recognizing traps

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of the following characteristics did a horse most likely inherit from its parents?

• Torn ear

• Brown coat

• Broken tooth

• Scar on its back

A pet dog often learns many new behaviors during its lifetime. All of these are behaviors it may learn EXCEPT –

• scratching an itch

• begging at the table

• rolling over on command

• barking when the doorbell rings

Chimpanzees are born with some inherited traits but learn others as they move around in their environment. Which of the following traits could a chimpanzee learn during its lifetime?

• Living in large groups with other chimps

• Walking quickly on both arms and legs

• Using a stick to dig ants out of the ground

• Sleeping at night and hunting during the day

Which of these is an example of a learned behavior

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Fox squirrels live in 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 clam shells. 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of these is a learned behavior of a dog?

• Begging for food

• Drinking water

• Panting on a hot day

• Chewing on a bone

A group of students visited a park and collected leaves from many different trees in order to study them. They recorded their observations about the leaves. Which of these observations does NOT describe an inherited trait?

• The leaves vary in shape and size

• Some leaves have holes made by insects chewing on them.

• Some leaves are smooth on one side and rough on the other.

• The colors of the leaves range from light green to dark green.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

For a science assignment a student was asked to observe some organisms and then make a table to classify the organisms' traits as inherited or learned. The student's table is shown below. How many of these observations describe learned behaviors and how many describe inherited traits?

• 1 learned behavior, 7 inherited traits

• 2 learned behaviors, 6 inherited traits

• 3 learned behaviors, 5 inherited traits

• 4 learned behaviors, 4 inherited traits

Tags

NGSS.3-LS1-1

NGSS.3-LS3-1