Evolutionary Fitness and Natural Selection Worksheet

In a population of insects, some individuals survive longer but produce fewer offspring than others. Which individuals have the highest fitness?

• Those that are the largest

• Those that produce the most offspring

• Those that live the longest

• Those that eat the most

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A population of birds develops longer beaks that allow them to access food more easily. Why does this trait increase fitness?

• It makes birds stronger

• It helps birds survive and reproduce

• It reduces competition

• It changes the bird’s DNA

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which statement BEST describes evolutionary fitness?

• The ability to grow quickly

• The ability to reproduce successfully

• The ability to survive extreme conditions

• The ability to move faster

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-4

In a cold environment, foxes with thicker fur survive and reproduce more often than foxes with thinner fur. What will most likely happen over time?

• Foxes will stop reproducing

• Thin fur will become more common

• The population will have more foxes with thick fur

• All foxes will develop thicker fur during their lifetime

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Which organism has the highest fitness?

• One that eats the most food

• One that produces many offspring that survive

• One that survives but produces no offspring

• One that grows the fastest

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

A drought reduces food availability. Only plants with deep roots survive. What is the most likely outcome?

• All plants will grow deeper roots

• The environment will change permanently

• Plants with deep roots will become more common

• Plants without deep roots will become stronger

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

NGSS.MS-LS2-1

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

A mutation causes a rabbit to have better camouflage in its environment. Why is this beneficial?

• It changes the rabbit’s behavior

• It helps the rabbit avoid predators and reproduce

• It allows the rabbit to grow faster

• It makes the rabbit larger

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

Two populations of the same species live in different environments. One environment favors large body size, while the other favors small body size. What explains this difference?

• Competition between species

• Random chance

• Natural selection based on environment

• Mutation rate

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NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Which situation BEST demonstrates high fitness?

• An organism survives but cannot reproduce

• An organism reproduces and its offspring survive

• An organism grows larger than others

• An organism moves faster than others

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In a population, individuals with a certain trait produce more offspring than others. What will most likely happen over time?

• The population will stop evolving

• The trait will disappear

• The trait will become more common

• All individuals will have identical traits

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4