7.13C Exploring Natural and Artificial Selection

What is natural selection?

• The process by which humans breed plants and animals for desired traits

• The process by which organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring

• The process of creating new species through genetic engineering

• The random change in allele frequencies in a population

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Which of the following is an example of artificial selection?

• Wolves hunting in packs

• Farmers breeding cows to produce more milk

• Birds migrating south for the winter

• Fish developing camouflage to avoid predators

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Explain how natural selection can lead to evolution.

• Natural selection causes immediate changes in an organism's DNA.

• Natural selection results in the survival of the fittest individuals, leading to gradual changes in the population over time.

• Natural selection eliminates all weak individuals, leaving only the strong ones.

• Natural selection creates new species overnight.

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Identify the main difference between natural and artificial selection.

• Natural selection is a random process, while artificial selection is guided by humans.

• Natural selection occurs only in plants, while artificial selection occurs only in animals.

• Natural selection is faster than artificial selection.

• Natural selection requires human intervention, while artificial selection does not.

Why might a farmer choose to use artificial selection on their crops?

• To increase the genetic diversity of the crops

• To produce crops with specific desirable traits, such as larger fruit or pest resistance

• To allow the crops to evolve naturally without interference

• To decrease the yield of the crops

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Consider a population of beetles where some are green and some are brown. Birds prefer to eat green beetles. Over time, what is likely to happen to the population of beetles?

• The population will remain the same.

• The population will have more green beetles.

• The population will have more brown beetles.

• The population will become extinct.

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A scientist observes that a certain plant species has developed resistance to a particular herbicide over several generations. What process is most likely responsible for this change?

• Artificial selection

• Natural selection

• Genetic drift

• Mutation

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How does artificial selection differ from genetic engineering?

• Artificial selection involves direct manipulation of DNA, while genetic engineering does not.

• Artificial selection is a natural process, while genetic engineering is not.

• Artificial selection involves choosing parents with desired traits, while genetic engineering involves directly altering the genetic material.

• Artificial selection is faster than genetic engineering.

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Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of "survival of the fittest"?

• A lion hunting a zebra

• A plant developing deeper roots in response to drought conditions

• A bird building a nest

• A fish swimming upstream

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What role does variation play in natural selection?

• Variation decreases the chances of survival for a species.

• Variation provides the raw material for natural selection to act upon, allowing some individuals to survive and reproduce more successfully.

• Variation is not important in natural selection.

• Variation ensures that all individuals in a population are identical.

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