STAAR Evolution Vocabulary

What is the term for the process by which organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce more successfully than others?

• Genetic drift

• Natural selection

• Mutation

• Speciation

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What is the definition of "adaptation" in the context of evolution?

• A random change in an organism's DNA

• The extinction of a species due to environmental changes

• A trait that increases an organism's ability to survive and reproduce in its environment

• The process of one species splitting into two

What term describes the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past?

• Artifacts

• Fossils

• Sediments

• Specimens

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

What is the term for a change in the DNA sequence of an organism?

• Adaptation

• Speciation

• Mutation

• Selection

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

What does the term "species" refer to in biology?

• A group of organisms that share the same habitat

• A group of organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring

• A group of organisms with identical DNA

• A group of organisms that eat the same food

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What is "genetic variation"?

• The identical genetic makeup shared by all members of a species

• The differences in DNA sequences among individuals in a population

• The process by which genes are passed from parent to offspring

• The elimination of harmful genes from a population

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What is the term for the formation of new and distinct species through the course of evolution?

• Adaptation

• Genetic drift

• Speciation

• Natural selection

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which of the following best describes "survival of the fittest" in evolutionary terms?

• The strongest organism always survives

• Organisms that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce

• Only the fastest organisms survive in nature

• Organisms that live the longest pass on the most genes

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What is "geographic isolation" in the context of speciation?

• When two populations share the same territory

• When a population is separated by a physical barrier, preventing interbreeding

• When organisms migrate to find new food sources

• When a species becomes extinct due to habitat loss

A population of beetles lives in a green field. Green beetles are harder for birds to see than brown beetles. Over several generations, what would natural selection most likely result in?

• An equal number of green and brown beetles

• More brown beetles than green beetles

• A greater proportion of green beetles in the population

• All beetles becoming a new species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4