Natural Selection: Mutations in a Population

What introduces new traits into a population?

• Evolution

• Natural selection

• Mutations

• Environment

How can we define an 'adaptive trait'?

• A trait that helps an organism survive in its environment

• A trait that changes as the organism grows

• A trait that makes the organism look different

• A trait that appears in every generation

When mutations occur in a population, which statement is TRUE?

• All mutations result in adaptive traits

• All mutations result in non-adaptive traits

• Mutations can result in both adaptive and non-adaptive traits

• Mutations always cause traits to become more common

In a cold environment, which trait would most likely be adaptive for ostrilopes?

• No fur

• Low fur

• Medium fur

• High fur

What happens to non-adaptive traits in a population over time?

• They always disappear immediately

• They tend to become less common

• They always become more common

• They stay at the same frequency

What is a 'distribution' in the context of this lesson?

• How food is shared in a population

• How traits are spread throughout a population

• How animals are arranged in their habitat

• How mutations affect individual animals

Which of the following best describes what a histogram shows?

• The life cycle of organisms

• The frequency of different traits in a population

• The process of natural selection

• The timeline of mutations

What does the red indicator above an ostrilope's head in the simulation mean?

• The ostrilope is sick

• The ostrilope has a mutant trait

• The ostrilope has an adaptive trait

• The ostrilope will not survive

Which of the following is TRUE about mutations?

• Mutations only happen in cold environments

• Mutations that are adaptive will always become more common

• Mutations only affect fur traits

• All mutations change the population immediately

What determines whether a new trait becomes more common in a population?

• The size of the trait

• How recently the mutation occurred

• Whether the trait is adaptive in the environment

• How many mutations are present