Evolution

Which of the following is true regarding how evolution occurs in a population?

• Individual organisms evolve during their own lifetime

• Populations evolve over many generations

• Organisms can change their DNA whenever they want

• Evolution happens only to one animal at a time

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In a forest with dark trees, which moth would likely have the highest 'fitness' according to natural selection?

• A bright white moth that is easy for birds to see

• A fast moth that lives a long time but has no offspring

• A dark moth that blends in and produces many offspring

• A large moth that cannot find a mate

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

What does biological 'fitness' specifically refer to in the context of evolution?

• How much weight an organism can lift

• How fast an organism can run away from predators

• The ability to survive and produce offspring

• The overall health and diet of an individual

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

Why is genetic variation within a population important for natural selection to occur?

• It ensures that every individual looks exactly the same

• It provides different traits that may help some survive better than others

• It prevents mutations from happening in the DNA

• It makes it easier for scientists to label the animals

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which statement correctly describes a major misconception about how evolution works?

• Evolution is a process that takes a long time

• Organisms can 'try' to evolve a trait because they need it

• DNA sequences can be compared to see how species are related

• Natural selection acts on existing variations in a population

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

How do fossils provide evidence for the theory of evolution?

• They show exactly what the future of a species will look like

• They prove that animals never changed over time

• They show how organisms have changed over long periods of Earth's history

• They provide DNA from every animal that has ever lived

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

If two different species have very similar DNA sequences, what can you conclude about them?

• They are not related at all

• They likely share a relatively recent common ancestor

• They must live in the exact same environment

• They are the exact same individual organism

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

A human's arm and a cat's front leg have similar bone structures. This is an example of what?

• Homologous structures

• Analogous structures

• Vestigial structures

• Artificial selection

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Whale pelvic bones are considered vestigial structures. What does this suggest about whale evolution?

• Whales are planning to grow legs in the future

• Whales evolved from ancestors that used those bones to walk on land

• Whales use those bones to swim faster in deep water

• Whales have the exact same DNA as modern fish

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

How does biogeography contribute to our understanding of evolution?

• It explains why all animals look the same everywhere in the world

• It shows how the distribution of species is influenced by their evolutionary history

• It proves that animals do not move from one place to another

• It focuses only on where fossils are buried in the ocean

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NGSS.MS-LS2-2