Biology Lesson: Evolution and Natural Selection

Match the following key terms with their correct definitions:

• Fitness

• Differences in traits among individuals in a population.

• Variation

• Any environmental factor that influences which individuals survive and reproduce.

• Natural Selection

• The process by which organisms with traits better suited to their environment survive and reproduce more successfully.

• Selective Pressure

• A trait that improves an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in a particular environment.

• Adaptation

• An organism’s ability to survive and reproduce in its environment.

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Natural selection is a ________ of evolution.

• mechanism

• result

• definition

• opposite

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Natural selection acts on ________ traits — traits passed from parent to offspring.

• heritable

• acquired

• temporary

• environmental

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Organisms with traits that give them a survival advantage are more likely to ________ and ________.

• live, reproduce

• hide, sleep

• migrate, hibernate

• eat, grow

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Over many generations, ________ traits become more common in the population.

• favorable

• harmful

• random

• temporary

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Before the Industrial Revolution, which type of moth was more common?

• Light-colored moths

• Dark-colored moths

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After the trees darkened from pollution, which type of moth survived more often?

• Light-colored moths

• Dark-colored moths

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Dark-colored moths survived more often after the Industrial Revolution because:

• they were better camouflaged against polluted, darkened trees

• they could fly faster than light-colored moths

• they ate different food than light-colored moths

• they reproduced more quickly than light-colored moths

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The shift in the population of peppered moths after the Industrial Revolution resulted in:

• More light moths, fewer dark ones

• More dark moths, fewer light ones

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Which type of adaptation involves physical features of an organism?

• Structural

• Behavioral

• Physiological

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