(Mod) Sci 8A Checkpoint 08: Natural and Artificial Selection

Where does natural selection occur? (Select all that apply.)

• only in forests; human interference prevents it everywhere else

• in natural areas, unaffected by human actions

• in areas that are close to human settlements

What would happen if some wasp beetles are born completely black and look less like wasps?

• Black wasp beetles would look less threatening and would be picked up by predators more. Over time, this trait would become rarer.

• Black wasp beetles would look more threatening and would be avoided by predators. Over time, this trait would become rarer.

• Black wasp beetles would look less threatening and would be picked up by predators more. Over time, this trait would become more frequent.

Which statement defines adaptation?

• Changes that occur to an organism’s body because it is successful in finding food

• An inherited characteristic that increases an individual’s ability to survive in its environment

• An inherited characteristic that causes an individual to find more food and become larger

Which option describes how adaptations spread throughout a population?

• The individuals with the adaptation become good enough at evading or fighting that their predators choose to leave the whole species alone.

• The individuals with the adaptation have an advantage in fitness. Those individuals are more likely to reproduce and pass on their genes.

• The individuals with the adaptation can teach the adaptation to other members of the population. The entire population will have the adaptation over time.

Which statement defines evolution?

• the change in heritable traits that occurs in populations over time

• the changes in the physical environment that a species lives in that occur after a sudden change

• the changes in the physical environment that a species lives in that occur over time

Which options describe a case of artificial selection? (Select all that apply.)

• Corn plants are selectively bred from the grass teosinte.

• Cows are selectively bred to increase milk production.

• A chemical pollutant destroys all life in a lake.

Which statement explains how artificial selection is accomplished?

• Humans select the traits that are beneficial for humans; then they select the individuals with those traits for breeding.

• Mechanisms in nature come together and select for traits that are beneficial for humans; then they select the individuals with those traits for breeding.

Which statement is accurate about the impact of artificial selection?

• Without artificial selection, people would likely still live in small hunter-gatherer groups.

• Without artificial selection, people would likely eat a diet mostly of plants and a little meat.

Which statement comparing naturally and artificially selected organisms is correct?

• The traits selected by natural selection generally enhance fitness in the wild; the traits selected by artificial selection may or may not make the organism more fit in the wild.

• The traits selected by natural selection may or may not enhance fitness in the wild; the traits selected by artificial selection will generally make the organism more fit in the wild.