Introduction to Natural Selection & Genetic Traits

Which statement best defines genetic traits as presented in the lesson?

• Behaviors learned from teachers and friends

• Characteristics inherited from parents and determined by genes

• Skills developed through practice over time

• Changes caused only by the environment and not by DNA

Which statement best describes why Charles Darwin is important to science?

• He discovered the first dinosaur fossil.

• He developed ideas about natural selection after research including a voyage on the HMS Beagle.

• He invented the microscope used to study cells.

• He proved that all species were created at the same time.

A pufferfish inflates and displays sharp spines when threatened. Which explanation best uses the idea of adaptation through natural selection to describe how this trait helps survival?

• Inflating makes the fish look prettier to mates, so it always inflates.

• The spines and larger size can discourage predators, so pufferfish with better inflation and sharper spines were more likely to survive and pass on this trait.

• Inflation allows the fish to breathe air like mammals, which increases its intelligence.

• Predators prefer spiny fish, so pufferfish evolved spines to be eaten faster.

Which location did Darwin study finches that helped him develop ideas about natural selection?

• Himalayan Mountains

• Galapagos Islands

• Amazon Rainforest

• Sahara Desert

Which scenario best shows an adaptation trade-off for a bird’s beak?

• A hawk’s hooked beak helps tear meat and also makes weaving nests easier

• A finch’s thick, crushing beak cracks seeds but may make it harder to pick up tiny twigs for nest building

• A pelican’s pouch-like beak scoops fish and also makes carrying heavy sticks effortless

• A hummingbird’s long, thin beak reaches nectar and also lets it defend strongly against attackers

Which statement best explains how natural selection is shown in the peacock example from the lesson?

• Peacocks with dull tails eat more food and live longer.

• Peacocks with bigger and brighter tails mate more often, so faint-colored peacocks become rare.

• Peacocks with shorter tails can fly farther and escape predators.

• Peacocks with blue feathers are better at hunting insects.

Which statement best defines selective breeding?

• Organisms naturally adapt over long periods of time without human involvement.

• Humans choose which plants or animals will reproduce based on specific traits to create desired offspring.

• Animals choose mates randomly, leading to a variety of traits in offspring.

• Traits change only due to environmental pressures and chance.

According to the material, what is a defining feature of a GMO?

• It is bred only through traditional methods

• It contains foreign DNA engineered into the organism

• It is always a new species created in a lab

• It can only be an animal

Which statement best describes a controversy mentioned about GMOs?

• Whether GMOs should be banned worldwide

• Whether GMO foods should be labeled as such

• Whether GMOs can exist in nature

• Whether GMOs can only be grown indoors

A scientist plans to engineer a plant by adding foreign DNA to help it survive weed-killing chemicals. Based on the examples, which crop and trait combination matches this goal?

• Corn with insect resistance

• Soybeans with herbicide tolerance

• Rice with vitamin enrichment

• Potatoes with virus resistance