Natural Selection Test Review: Forest Mice

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

1. Before the wildfire, which mice were most likely to survive?

• Dark-colored mice

• Light-colored mice

• Both equally

• Neither

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

2. Why did dark-colored mice become more common after the wildfire?

• They ran faster

• They blended in better with the dark ground

• They were bigger

• They moved away

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

3. What caused some mice to have different fur colors in the first place?

• Choice

• Mutation

• Weather

• Predators

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

What is the main reason light-colored mice decreased in number?

• They stopped reproducing

• They were easier for predators to see

• They changed color

• They left the forest

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Which term describes the environment "choosing" which traits help survival?

• Mutation

• Adaptation

• Natural Selection

• Competition

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

What is an adaptation in this scenario?

• The wildfire

• The dark fur helping mice survive

• The predators hunting

• The forest changing

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Scenario: Forest Mice and Environmental Change In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

7. Which of the following is an example of variation?

• All mice are identical

• Some mice have light fur and some have dark fur

• The forest burned

• Mice hiding

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In a forest, a population of mice lives on the ground. Some mice have light brown fur and others have dark brown fur. At first, the forest floor is covered in light-colored leaves, so light mice are better camouflaged and are less likely to be seen by predators. Over time, a wildfire spreads through the forest. The fire burns away vegetation and leaves behind dark, charred ground. After several years, scientists observe that there are now more dark-colored mice than light-colored mice in the population. This change in the environment has affected which mice are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Over time, most mice in the population have dark fur. This shows:

• Mutation

• Adaptation

• Natural disaster

• Random chance

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4

Dark-colored mice were more likely to survive after the wildfire because their coloration provided better camouflage in the darkened environment, making them less visible to predators.

• Their coloration provided better camouflage in the darkened environment, making them less visible to predators.

• They were able to run faster than light-colored mice.

• They had a stronger immune system after the wildfire.

• They could find food more easily than light-colored mice.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

The light-colored mice population decreased over time because they were more visible to predators in the darkened environment after the wildfire, leading to higher predation rates.

• The light-colored mice population decreased due to higher predation rates after the wildfire.

• The light-colored mice population increased because they blended in better after the wildfire.

• The light-colored mice population remained unchanged after the wildfire.

• The light-colored mice population decreased because they migrated to a new area.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

NGSS.MS-LS2-4