Natural Selection Questions

If their environment changes to have only long flowers, which of the following hummingbird populations will most likely 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.

• Populations 2 and 3 will survive.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

(HINT:Ducks with thinner feathers withstand hot environments, but die in cold. Ducks with thick feathers die in hot environments, but thrive in cold.)

• 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.

• 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which prediction best shows what the population could look like after many generations? What caused it to change? These snake populations used to live in a mostly dirt and sand. Now grass and plants grow in their environment.

• 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

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.

7. How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

• 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. With each generation, more guppies with small spots survived long enough to pass 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.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which prediction best shows what the population could look like after many generations? What caused it to change?

• Prediction 1 is best. Two brown or gray foxes had a baby with a mutation in its genes for the white-fur trait. Because white foxes are more likely to survive, that baby survived long enough to pass on its mutation, so the white-fur trait became more common over generations.

• Prediction 1 is best. White foxes are more likely to survive, so brown and gray foxes began to have offspring with mutations in their genes for the white-fur trait so that their offspring would have a better chance of surviving.

• Prediction 2 is best. A fox could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the white-fur trait and lived for a little while. Because white foxes are more likely to die, it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring, so the final population will only have brown and gray foxes.

• Prediction 2 is best. A fox could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the white-fur 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 brown and gray foxes.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

If their environment changes so that there are many floods each year, which of the following lizard populations will most likely survive?

(HINT: Lizards with shorter legs are better at climbing trees than lizards with longer legs. This makes lizards with shorter legs better at escaping from the floods that sometimes cover the islands.)

• All the populations will survive because the lizards will change the length of their legs if they need to.

• Populations 1 and 2 will most likely survive.

• Populations 2 and 3 will most likely survive.

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

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

(HINT: Tree squirrels can have different fur colors.

Squirrels live in forests where foxes also live. Foxes hunt squirrels for food. Squirrels that have fur that is the same color as the trees are harder for the foxes to see and catch.)

• You cannot tell how the environment changed. With each generation, more squirrels passed on the gene for black fur to their offspring.

• There were more black trees. Squirrels with black fur are more likely to survive, so the squirrels with gray fur changed to have black fur.

• There were more black trees. Squirrels with black fur are more likely to survive, so both types of squirrels passed on the gene for black fur to their offspring.

• There were more black trees. With each generation, more squirrels with black fur survived long enough to pass on the gene for black fur to their offspring.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

The population of blue jays shown above lives in an environment that has always had seeds with hard shells. Could there ever have been blue jays with thin beaks in this population?

(HINT: Blue jays use their beaks to get to the seeds they eat. Blue jays with thinner beaks can easily reach and eat the seeds inside pinecones. Blue jays with thicker beaks can easily open and eat seeds with hard shells.)

• No blue jays could have been born with a thin-beak trait because none of the adult blue jays had that trait to pass down.

• No blue jays could have been born with a thin-beak trait in the past, but some with that trait could be born in the future if the environment changes to have pine cones with seeds.

• A blue jay could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-beak trait and lived for a little while, but it would have been more likely to die before it had offspring.

• A blue jay could have been born with a mutation in its genes for the thin-beak trait, but having a mutation in its genes would have caused it to die when it was born.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

If their environment changes to have only brown dirt, which of the following fox populations will most likely survive?

• Populations 1 and 2 will most likely survive.

• Populations 2 and 3 will most likely survive.

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

• All the populations will survive because the foxes will change the color of their fur if they need to.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How did the environment change between time 1 and time 2? How did the population change?

• You cannot tell how the environment changed. With each generation, more seals passed on the gene for thick blubber to their offspring.

• The water became colder. Seals with thick blubber are more likely to survive, so the seals with thin blubber changed to have thick blubber.

• The water became colder. Seals with thick blubber are more likely to survive, so both kinds of seals passed on the gene for thick blubber to their offspring.

• The water became colder. With each generation, more seals with thick blubber survived long enough to pass on the gene for thick blubber to their offspring.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

NGSS.MS-LS4-4