Life Science (2) OST Review

Fossils of the Coelacanth fish occur in the fossil record from 410 to 65 million years ago. The lack of more recent fossils led scientists to conclude that the fish went extinct along with the dinosaurs. In 1938, a fisherman caught a living Coelacanth. More than 200 of them have been caught on the deep reefs in the Indian Ocean. This fish has been called a “living fossil” because its body plan is nearly identical to the 400-million-year-old fossils. This structural similarity, as evidenced by the fossil record, supports which statement?

• The environment of the deep sea has changed little over millions of years.
• The amount of salt in the deep sea has varied greatly over millions of years.
• The oceans have completely dried up multiple times during the past 400 million years.
• The oceans have been continuously repopulated by freshwater fish species over millions of years.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

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Scientists see three layers of rock exposed on the side of a hill. The bottom layer is sandstone with fossils of a certain species of reptile found only in this geographic location. The middle layer is volcanic ash. The top layer is mudstone (shale) with fossils of a different species of reptile. The fossil evidence supports which hypothesis about the extinction of the older reptile species?

• The older reptile species went extinct because sea levels rose and flooded its habitat.
• The older reptile species went extinct because a predator was introduced into the environment.
• The older reptile species went extinct because it could not compete with the younger reptile species.
• The older reptile species went extinct because a volcanic eruption caused the environment to change.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

In the Western Hemisphere, crocodiles can be found only as far north as southern Florida. Crocodiles require warm temperatures to survive. The average annual temperature for southern Florida is 76 degrees Fahrenheit. However, crocodile fossils and fossilized subtropical plants have been found in parts of western Colorado, where the average annual temperature is 53 degrees Fahrenheit. Which statement explains why crocodile fossils are found in western regions of the United States but living crocodiles are not?

• Crocodiles used to live in cold climates but adapted to warm climates.
• The climate changed, and crocodiles could not survive in this region.
• Crocodiles migrated from Florida to Colorado, where they died.
• A glacier carried crocodile bones from Mexico to Colorado.

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

Oldfield mice have lived in Florida’s interior wooded areas for over 10,000 years. Some of these mice later moved onto the beaches of Florida’s barrier islands, which formed about 6,000 years ago. The table provides characteristics of the two mouse populations. Which statement is a reasonable explanation for the difference in the appearances of the two Oldfield mouse populations?

• Beach mice with dark coats were more easily spotted by predators.
• The dark coats of beach mice became lighter with exposure to sunlight.
• Beach mice with light coats were more likely to remain in underground burrows.
• The dark coats of beach mice were more common because the coat color is a dominant trait.

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NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A species of fish living in a stream displays variation in body color. Fifty years ago, most of the fish were light-colored but a few were dark-colored. Over time, the clear water of the stream became cloudy and the population of dark-colored fish increased. Which statement explains why more dark-colored fish were found after the water became cloudy?

• More of the dark-colored fish survived long enough to reproduce.
• The light-colored fish began eating the eggs of the dark-colored fish.
• The dark-colored fish mated with other species of dark-colored fish.
• More of the light-colored fish switched to asexual reproduction.

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What characteristic could provide a species with a better chance of surviving a drastic environmental change?

• a small population size
• a highly diversified gene pool
• specialized cells within the body
• many individuals with the recessive trait

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Four different mammal populations contain varying numbers of individuals with a range of fur thickness.Which graph shows a population that would have the greatest chance of surviving a significant change in climate?

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A population of lizards that originally had no predators lived on a small,isolated island. Predators of the lizards were accidentally introduced to the island from a visiting ship. The graph shows how the average leg length of the surviving lizards changed over time once the predator was introduced. Which statement could explain the trend in the graph?

• Lizards with shorter legs found more food.
• Lizards with longer legs were less likely to reprod uce.
• Lizards with longer legs ran faster and avoided predators.
• Lizards with shorter legs avoided predators by climbing trees.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

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England began burning coal to power factories in the mid-1800s. Dark smoke and black soot are products of burning coal, which over time coated the nearby trees. The graph shows population changes in the peppered moth species in England from 1844 to 1891. Check the three statements that may explain the changes in the population of peppered moths during this time.

• The environment favored darker coloring in peppered moths.
• Dark coloring was a trait that helped peppered moths avoid predators.
• Darker peppered moths reproduced more successfully than lighter peppered moths.
• Peppered moths turned a darker color as they aged.
• Darker peppered moths consumed the lighter peppered.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Before 1800, most peppered moths in England were light-colored. During the 1800's, many factories were built. Their pollution darkened the light-colored tree trunks where the moths rested. Eventually, more moths were dark-colored and only a few were light-colored. Which statement explains why the number of dark-colored moths in the population increased?

• More dark-colored moths survived to reproduce.
• Dark-colored moths began eating light-colored moths.
• Predators were more likely to eat dark-colored moths.
• Dark-colored moths were healthier than light-colored moths ..

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