Quiz on Inherited Traits and Behaviors

Explain what an inherited trait is.

• Traits that animals or plants learn from their environment.

• Behaviors that are taught by parents to their young.

• Skills developed through practice or repetition over time.

• Features acquired during an organism's lifetime, like scars or injuries.

Explain why some students can roll their tongues and others cannot.

• Tongue rolling is a skill that is learned through practice and effort.

• Tongue rolling is caused by the food a person eats growing up

• Tongue rolling is determined by how often a person exercises their tongue muscles.

• Tongue rolling is an inherited trait determined by genetics.

Explain how children can resemble parents in learned behaviors.

• Children can resemble parents in learned behaviors by observing, imitating, and practicing the actions, skills, and attitudes they see in their parents.

• Learned behaviors are determined by an individual’s DNA and are not influenced by observation.

• Children receive learned behaviors through exposure to certain foods that cause them to mimic parents.

• Learned behaviors develop in children only when they share identical blood types with their parents.

Explain the role genes play in the transfer of traits.

• Genes carry the hereditary information that determines traits, and they are passed from parents to offspring.

• Genes are found only in the mother’s body and have no influence from the father.

• Genes appear randomly and have no connection to inherited traits.

• Genes are formed by the types of foods an organism eats.

The characteristics of a dolphin are shown in the illustration. The dolphin inherited all of these characteristics from its parents EXCEPT -

• its blowhole, for breathing.

• its scars from a motor boat.

• its long, rounded snout.

• its broad, flat tail.

A student sees a turtle laying its eggs on the beach. Which of the following is an example of a question the student could ask to decide whether this is a learned behavior or an instinct?

• How long does it take for turtles of this type to lay their eggs on the beach?

• Does the turtle have to see other turtles laying eggs on the beach to know how to do that?

• Do other types of turtles also lay their eggs on the same beach at the same time?

• After laying the eggs, does the turtle remain on the beach to care for the newly hatched turtles?

A student observes a tree that is shaped like a cone. What question would help the student decide whether this shape is inherited or acquired?

• Do all the trees of this kind have that same cone shape?

• Are there more birds in the cone-shaped tree?

• Does this cone-shaped tree produce more seeds?

• Is there a water source close to the cone-shaped tree?

A group of students watches sea lions on some rocks. They hear the sea lions barking loudly. Which of the following is the best question to ask to help them figure out if barking is an instinct or a learned behavior?

• Does the sea lions' barking help them find more food?

• Do baby sea lions bark from the time they are born?

• Do other kinds of ocean animals make a similar sound?

• Does the barking mean there is a predator nearby?

Choose 2 correct answers. Which of these is not an instinctive behavior?

• a bear hibernating in winter

• a turtle burying its eggs

• a bird building a nest

• a dog playing fetch

• a horse pulling a plow

Which statement BEST describes a learned characteristic in a dog?

• A dog scratches at a door to go outside.

• A dog has floppy ears.

• A dog pants to cool itself on a hot day.

• A dog has a dark coat.