Mutations and Natural Selection Quiz

What is a mutation?

• A change in an organism’s traits caused by its environment

• A change in a gene that can be passed down to offspring

• A temporary condition that affects an organism’s survival

• A way for organisms to develop superpowers

How do mutations affect an organism?

• All mutations are harmful

• All mutations give organisms special abilities

• Some mutations are beneficial, some are harmful, and some have no effect

• Mutations always change an organism’s appearance

What determines whether a mutation is adaptive or non-adaptive?

• The organism’s size

• The organism’s environment

• The organism’s diet

• The amount of DNA in the organism

How did some bed bugs survive exposure to insecticides?

• They learned to avoid sprayed areas

• They developed a taste for poison

• They had genetic mutations that made their exoskeletons tougher

• They became smaller to escape detection

What happened to bed bugs with tougher exoskeletons over time?

• They became extinct

• They became more common because they survived and reproduced

• They stopped feeding on blood

• They moved to a different habitat

Why are some cane toads in Australia developing bigger legs?

• Mutations led to longer, stronger legs that help them find food

• The toads eat a special diet that makes their legs grow

• Scientists are breeding toads with larger legs

• Toads that don’t move fast enough are removed from the population

How does natural selection affect organisms with adaptive traits?

• Adaptive traits make organisms more likely to survive and reproduce

• Adaptive traits always make organisms larger

• Organisms with adaptive traits stop evolving

• Adaptive traits only help predators, not prey

Why do blue lobsters exist?

• They were created through genetic engineering

• A mutation caused them to produce more of a certain protein

• They were exposed to pollution in the ocean

• They blend in better with the ocean floor

How do blue lobsters compare to normal-colored lobsters in terms of survival?

• Blue lobsters are more likely to be eaten by predators

• Blue lobsters survive and reproduce at the same rate as other lobsters

• Blue lobsters are stronger and faster than other lobsters

• Blue lobsters do not reproduce

What is the role of mutations in natural selection?

• Mutations create new traits, which may help organisms survive in a changing environment

• Mutations only cause harm and do not help organisms

• Mutations stop natural selection from happening

• Mutations make all organisms look the same