Why did the newts become poisonous?

snakes were introduced to their environment

they needed to protect themselves from predators

they were attacked by another poisonous animal

What is an adaptive trait?

a trait that makes it more likely to survive in an environment

a trait that will help a population reproduce

a trait that makes it less likely to survive in an environment

a trait that will lead to extinction

What is an non-adaptive trait?

a trait that makes it less likely to survive in an environment

a trait that could lead to extinction

a trait that makes it more likely to survive in an environment

a trait that will help a population reproduce

Hummingbirds can have different beak lengths. They use their beaks to reach to the nectar (their food) at the bottom of flowers. Hummingbirds with longer beaks can get food from long flowers. Hummingbirds with shorter beaks cannot reach the nectar in long flowers. If a hummingbird can’t easily reach its food, it will die. The diagrams below show three possible hummingbird populations. If their environment changes to have only long flowers, which of the following hummingbird populations will most likely survive?

Populations 2 and 3 will survive.

Only population 2 will survive because it is the only population with variation.

All the populations will survive because the hummingbirds will change the length of their beaks if they need to.

Populations 1 and 2 will survive.

Eider ducks live in the ocean and have a layer of warm feathers underneath their regular feathers. They can have feathers of different thicknesses. These feathers help the ducks stay warm in cold water. Ducks with thicker feathers are more likely to stay warm and survive in cold water. But, in warm water, thicker feathers can make the ducks overheat and die. The diagram below shows a population of ducks that live in an area of an ocean. At time 1, the population had the same number of ducks with thin and thick feather layers. At time 2, after many generations, there were many more ducks with a thin feather layer and fewer ducks in the population with a thick feather layer. How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

The water became warm. With each generation, more ducks with thin feathers survived long enough to pass on the gene for thin feathers to their offspring.

You cannot tell how the environment changed. With each generation, more ducks passed on the gene for thin feathers to their offspring.

The water became warm. As a result, ducks with thin feathers were more likely to survive, so the ducks with thick feathers changed to have thin feathers.

The water became warm. As a result, ducks with thin feathers were more likely to survive, so both kinds of ducks passed on the gene for thin feathers to their offspring.

There is a kind of snake that can be born with red, yellow, or green skin. Eagles hunt these snakes, but snakes that are the same color as their environment are harder for the eagles to see and catch. A population of snakes once lived in an environment where there was sand and dirt, but no grass. The image above shows what the population looked like then. The environment changed so that green grasses and plants now grow there. The diagrams below show two predictions for what the population could look like after many generations. Which prediction best shows what the population could look like after many generations? What caused it to change?

Prediction 1 is best. Two yellow or red snakes had a baby with a mutation in its genes for the green-skin trait. Because green snakes are more likely to survive, that baby survived long enough to pass on its mutation, so the green trait became more common over generations.

Prediction 1 is best. Green snakes are more likely to survive, so yellow and red snakes began to have offspring with mutations in their genes for the green-skin trait so that their offspring would have a better chance of surviving.

Prediction 2 is best. A snake could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the green-skin trait and lived for a little while. Because green snakes are more likely to die, it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring, so the final population will only have yellow and red snakes.

Prediction 2 is best. A snake could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the green-skin trait, but having a mutation in its genes would have caused it to die when it was born, so the final population will only have yellow and red snakes.

Guppies are small fish that live in South American rivers. They can have different-sized spots on their bodies. The river bottoms are covered in rocks. Guppies with spots that are the same size as the rocks on the bottom are harder for bigger fish to see and catch. The diagram below shows a population of guppies that live in a river. At time 1, the population had the same number of guppies with small and large spots. At time 2, after many generations, there were many more guppies with small spots and fewer guppies with large spots in the population. How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

The rocks became smaller. With each generation, more guppies with small spots survived long enough to pass on the gene for small spots to their offspring.

You cannot tell how the environment changed. With each generation, more guppies passed on the gene for small spots to their offspring.

The rocks became smaller. Guppies with small spots are more likely to survive, so the guppies with large spots changed to have small spots.

The rocks became smaller. Guppies with small spots are more likely to survive, so both kinds of guppies passed on the gene for small spots to their offspring.

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates natural selection?

A) A population of rabbits with varied fur colors living in a snowy environment, where white-furred rabbits are less likely to be seen by predators.

B) A population of fish in a stable environment with no changes in predator presence or food supply.

C) A group of birds that migrate to a new area with the same climate and food sources as their original habitat.

D) A species of insects that remain unchanged in an environment with no predators.

Natural Selection End of Unit Assessment

Quiz

•

Science

•

8th Grade

•

Practice Problem

•

Hard

•

NGSS

MS-LS4-4, MS-LS1-5, HS-LS4-4

+5

Standards-aligned

Lisa Thompson

FREE Resource

15 questions

Show all answers

1.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How would you describe the histogram above?

Most of the ostrilopes have no fur

Most of the ostrilopes have medium length fur

There is only one type of fur in this population

Most of the ostrilopes have thick fur

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

2.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How would you describe the variation in this histogram?

There is high variation

There is no variation

There is low variation

3.

MULTIPLE SELECT QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

How would you describe the population shown in the histogram?

The ostrilopes have thick fur

The ostrilopes don't have a lot of fur

the population has a lot of variation

the population has no variation

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

4.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

Which of the following is an adaptive trait?

yellow ostrilopes in a green environment with predators present

yellow ostrilopes in a yellow environment with predators present

multiple colors of ostrilopes in a yellow environment with predators present

all of the ostrilopes dying off

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

5.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

If this population is adaptive, after 50 years how will this population change if there is a lot of rainfall?

the thornpalms will shift to store more water

the thornpalms will die out

the thornpalms will stay about the same

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

6.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

If this population is adaptive, after 50 years how will this population change if there is little to no rainfall?

the thornpalms will stay about the same

the thornpalms will shift to store less water

the thornpalms will shift to store more water

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

7.

MULTIPLE SELECT QUESTION

1 min • 1 pt

What would be something that would cause a population to be adaptive?

a change in the climate/ weather

predators

low food supply

high food supply

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-4

NGSS.HS-LS4-5

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