Scientific Method and Fossil Analysis

Below is a debate between students, after examining a fossil. What steps would a student most likely take following this debate to determine a scientific conclusion?

• Compare the dinosaur fossil to dinosaur bones discovered by students at a museum.

• Share their findings in order to compare them with accepted findings from the scientific community.

• Pick a scientist who studies fossils to decide which student came up with the best hypothesis about the fossil.

• Read a paper published by a professor at a university and base all further decisions on the evidence found in that paper.

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Which of the following statements should Marley use to support her scientific explanation?

• I have shared my thoughts with other scientists who seem to agree with my explanation.

• Based on my knowledge and experience at the Natural History Museum and the age of this bone, I would argue that it belonged to a flying dinosaur.

• After reviewing our results, and comparing it to the research conducted by other scientists, the evidence supports the possibility that the bone belonged to a flying dinosaur.

• In my observation, I noticed that the bone was hollow. I remember learning in college that birds have hollow bones, and considering the age of the bone I believe that the fossil belongs to a flying dinosaur.

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Below is a list of evidence scientists have gathered on the theory of plate tectonics over time.

*Continental boundaries showed evidence that they fit together and once formed a single

landmass that separated and drifted apart

*Rocks of different ages show changes in magnetic field direction

*Oceanic crust disappears into the mantle (seafloor spreading)

Why is the collection of evidence necessary for plate tectonic theory?

• A theory must be agreed upon by each scientist studying plate tectonics.

• Scientists do not understand the theory of plate tectonics, so it needs to be modified.

• A theory needs a large body of evidence to support our understanding of natural events.

• Scientists should always add more evidence to existing theories, so they cannot be disproved.

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Scientists are able to explain why the plates move on Earth's surface using seafloor spreading as evidence. Which statement below explains why this is an accepted theory?

• It states what the relationship is between the seafloor and the continents.

• It describes the movement and rate at which the plates move around on Earth.

• It explains why certain areas on Earth's surface experience earthquakes and volcanoes.

• Several geologists have been able to predict that our continents will move back together in 100 years.

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Which of the following tables correctly compares scientific theory to a scientific law?

• 
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Alexis learned about the Universal Law of Gravitation which states every object is attracted to every other object with a force that is determined by their mass and distance. Why is it considered a law?

• Everyone can observe how gravity affects an object.

• It uses observations and has been proven with repeated successful testing.

• It describes what happens in nature, appears to be without exception, and is supported by repeated successful testing.

• All scientists accept gravity's effect on objects as a true concept, and there is no debate about its existence or how it works.

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Anthropologists recently discovered skull fragments from a previously unknown primate. The

mandible (jaw bone) of the skull is shown below along with the mandibles of other known

primates. Why would scientists use fossil records to help them determine the species of the unknown primate?

• to compare the mutations of its family members

• to see if the fossil has the same mass as the jaw of other primates

• to determine if the fossil has the same number of teeth as a modern primate

• to identify evolutionary relationships between the unknown and known fossils

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Which of the following statements best explains why genetic variation is important to the survival of a population?

• It decreases gene flow in the population.

• It decreases the likelihood of genetic mutation.

• It increases the size of animals so that more offspring will be produced.

• It increases the likelihood of an allele being present that is best suited for the environment.

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Pictured below is Astyanax mexicanus, a type of freshwater fish found in caves and other

underground habitats across Mexico and the southern part of the United States. Both the

surface and cavefish belong to the same species, but unlike the surface fish, the cavefish has

no eyes. How can the survival of the cavefish population be explained?

• The surface was too bright and predators were catching them, so they adapted to be transparent.

• A cavefish produced offspring after having lost its eyes in an injury and changed the population over time.

• The cavefish population has survived in caves without eyes because it is an adaptation to the environment.

• Cavefish were too far away from sunlight, causing problems in their development and changing their appearance.

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Pictures below are different wild cats from the family Felidae, found in Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas. They have adapted to a variety of habitats like forests, deserts, wetlands, and mountains. Which statement below best explains how evolution by natural selection influenced the variation demonstrated by the cat family - Felidae?

• Different traits evolved in each species in order to adapt to the environment where they live.

• Members of Felidae do not share common ancestors, so each species has its own unique traits.

• Cats have largely been unaffected by evolution because they are bred and influenced by humans.

• Different adaptations observed in Felidae are not significant enough to be influenced by natural selection.

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