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WorksheetsLearned Behaviors vs. Inherited Traits
Total questions: 40
Worksheet time: 1hrs 11mins
What is an INHERITED trait?
A trait you get from your friend.
A trait passed on from your parents.
Something you get from your grandparents.
Coyote's excellent hearing
Inherited trait
Learned behavior
Which of these is a trait the crawfish inherited from its parents?
Corina was sitting at her desk reading a book for several hours. After yawning, Corina
noticed it was after 10 p.m. and decided to brush her teeth and go to bed. Which of
Corina’s actions is a learned behavior?(4.10B)
reading a book
reading a clock
brushing her teeth
all of the above
Which of the following characteristics would be a learned behavior?
a frog hides beneath the surface of a pond
a rabbit stays very still when a dog approaches
a dog chases squirrels and other small animals
a parrot says “good morning”
Why are offspring usually similar, but not identical, to their parents?
inherited traits come from many different organisms
inherited traits change over time
inherited traits result from a combination of parental traits
inherited traits are not always passed on to offspring
Fox squirrels live in the trees of city parks throughout Texas. Each spring they build nests of twigs and leaves in the tops of the trees. Fox squirrels are often found near park benches, waiting to be fed by visitors. For fox squirrels, which of these is a learned behavior? (5.10B)
Building a nest each spring
Taking food from people
Having a long, bushy tail
Having sharp claws
A scientist observes sea otters using rocks to break open clamshells. Which of these investigations would best help the scientist determine whether this skill is a learned or an inherited behavior? (5.10B)
Determining what sizes and kinds of rocks are used most often by sea otters
Determining whether shellfish are an important food source in the diet of sea otters
Raising young sea otters away from adult otters that use rocks and observing whether the young otters use rocks
Observing families of sea otters over time to see whether adults that use rocks have offspring that use rocks
The caterpillars of monarch butterflies eat milkweed leaves. Milkweed leaves contain sap that is toxic to many animals but not to monarch butterfly caterpillars. This sap makes the monarch butterfly caterpillars toxic to predators and protects them from being eaten. Which of these is an inherited trait of monarch butterfly caterpillars? (5.10B)
The size of the milkweed leaves that the caterpillars eat
The ability of the caterpillars to eat toxic leaves without being harmed
The number of milkweed leaves the caterpillars eat each day
The number of leaves on the milkweed plants the the caterpillars visit each summer
Crayfish live in water and often hide under rocks or plants. They come out to look for food and will eat both plants and animals. Which of these is a trait that a crayfish most likely inherits from its parents? (5.10B)
The average distance it travels each day
The number of legs it has
The amount of food it eats each day
The type of plants in its habitat
The caterpillars of monarch butterflies eat milkweed leaves. Milkweed leaves contain sap that is toxic to many animals but not to monarch butterfly caterpillars. This sap makes the monarch butterfly caterpillars toxic to predators and protects them from being eaten. Which of these is an inherited trait of monarch butterfly caterpillars? (5.10B)
The size of the milkweed leaves that the caterpillars eat
The ability of the caterpillars to eat toxic leaves without being harmed
The number of milkweed leaves the caterpillars eat each day
The number of leaves on the milkweed plants the the caterpillars visit each summer
Some traits of living organisms are inherited, while some behaviors must be learned. Which statement related to inherited traits or learned behaviors is not correct? (5.10B)
The ability of a figure skater to spin on ice is related to both inherited traits and learned behaviors.
The ability of lions to use camouflage to hide in grassy fields is an inherited trait only.
The number and type of legs a cricket has is an inherited trait only.
The behavior of a dog guiding a blind person on a walk through a neighborhood is an inherited trait only.
A group of students visited a park and collected leaves from many different trees in order to study them. They recorded their observations about the leaves. Which of these observations does NOT describe an inherited trait? (5.10B)
The leaves vary in shape and size.
Some leaves have holes made by insects chewing on them.
Some leaves are smooth on one side and rough on the other.
The colors of the leaves range from light green to dark green.
A bright-red male cardinal comes to a school bird feeder every morning. Like other cardinals, this bird makes a sharp chirping sound as it hops around the bird feeder. Which of these is a learned behavior of this bird? (5.10B)
Having red feathers
Eating seeds during the day
Coming to the bird feeder each morning
Making a chirping sound
A family takes a group picture in a park where bluebonnets are blooming. The family notices that some of the blooms are white and others are blue. The color of the blooms is most likely determined by---(5.10B)
air temperature
the age of the plant
the types of consumers that eat the plant
inheritance from parent plants
Which of these is not an instinctive behavior?
a bird building a nest
a turtle burying its eggs
a bear hibernating in winter
a horse pulling a plow
How do the sharp spines on the cactus help it to survive?
They are learned behavior that absorb sunlight
They are inherited traits that provide support for the plant
They are inherited traits that keep animals away from the plant
They are a response to the environment to carry food to the flower
