wayground logo

Free Printable Worksheets

Font size

S
M
L
XL
Worksheets

Variation and Adaption

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is an adaptation?

a)

A feature that helps only a plant grow.

b)

A feature that helps a living thing survive.

c)

A feature that helps a living thing walk.

d)

A feature that that helps only animals survive.

2.

Behavioral adaptations are:

a)

Body parts that help a living thing survive in its environment

b)

Behaviors that help a living thing survive in its environment

3.

Physical adaptations are:

a)

Body parts that help a living thing survive in its environment

b)

Behaviors that help a living thing survive in its environment

4.

What word means to change physical features or behaviors of a species in response to changes in the environment?

a)

Adapt

b)

naturalist

c)

Organism

d)

Species

5.

The diagram below shows variations of Galápagos Island finches that formed over many generations.

What most likely caused the variations in these finches?

a)

The number of mates on the islands

b)

The available water on the islands

c)

The available food sources on the islands

d)

The temperatures on the islands

6.

Darwin found the following finches on the Galapagos islands. What best describes why they have different beaks?

a)

Genetic variation has made it possible for birds to feed on different forms of food due to their beak shape.

b)

Genetic variation has made it possible for larger eyes on the birds to see.

c)

Genetic variation has made it possible for the birds to camouflage themselves on the island.

d)

Genetic has made it possible for the birds to feed at different times of the day due to competition.

7.

When Charles Darwin visited the Galapagos Island in the 1800s, he observed many types of organisms that were similar but lived on different islands. The four species of mockingbirds found on the Gapapagos Island are shown below. Each species lives on a different island. These species are very similar, but the Hood mockingbird has a longer beak than the other three species. Which of the following best explains this difference?

a)

The hood mockingbird needs a longer beak for defense against predators.

b)

The Hood mockingbird originated from a different type of bird than the other species.

c)

The Hood mockingbird's longer beak is an adaptation to the food available in the bird's habitat.

d)

The Hood mockingbird's beak stretched to reach its food, and the longer beak was passed down to its offspring.

8.

Match the following terms with their definitions

a)

Evolution

1.

a change in a species DNA over time because of natural selection

b)

Adaptation

2.

Any variation that makes an organism better able to survive

c)

Variation

3.

An inherited trait that makes and individual different

d)

Mutation

4.

A permanent change in the DNA

9.

Darwin observed a few islands. He saw that animals looked different in different islands based on their needs. This process of adaptation is called (a)  

Choose from the below words

Natural selection

Nutritional slection

National selection

Evolutionary diet

10.

How do adaptations help animals?

a)

To escape animals

b)

to hunt for food

c)

to survive in their habitats

d)

All of these are correct

11.

What word describes a trait that helps an organism survive in its environment?

a)

natural selection

b)

mutation

c)

camouflage

d)

adaptation

12.

The differences among a species, like different bird beaks, are called

a)

genes.

b)

variations.

c)

traits.

d)

theories.

13.

These moths are all the same species. The differences between their wings is an example of ________________

a)

Natural Selection

b)

Variation

c)

Homeostasis

d)

Extinction

14.

Most adaptations that help an organism survive are passed on from parent to child as ___traits?

a)

adaptable

b)

physical

c)

more

d)

inherited

15.

To adjust to a changing environment

a)

Mutation

b)

Adapt

16.

Finches that live on the Galapgos islands have a wide genetic variation in beak shape and size. What caused this variation?

a)

It was a defense against predators

b)

They originated from different types of species

c)

It is an adaptation to the food sources available

d)

The beak stretched to reach its food and was passed down

17.

What is an adaptation?

a)

feature or behavior that helps an animal survive.

b)

food that an animal eats.

c)

How energy moves in a food web.

d)

How animals evolve throughout time.

18.

A giraffe's long neck - used to reach leaves high in trees - is an example of a 

a)

instinct

b)

learned behavior

c)

behavioral adaptation

d)

physical adaptation

19.

Animals that have something they DO to live (hibernate, migrate, etc.) are exhibiting ____ adaptations.

a)

behavioral

b)

structural

c)

physiological

d)

assistive

20.

____ is where better adapted organisms survive to pass traits along to their offspring.

a)

evolution

b)

natural selection

c)

extinction

d)

artificial selection

21.

Most adaptations that help an organism survive are passed on from parent to child as ____.

a)

behavioral adaptations

b)

inherited traits

c)

genetic variation

d)

none of the above

22.

Species with ____ variations are ____ likely to survive.

a)

more; less

b)

less; less

c)

less; more

d)

more; more

23.

Survival of the Fittest describes which theory

a)

a) natural selection

b)

b) gravity

c)

c) heredity

d)

d) string theory

24.

Which of the following is an example of a structural adaptation in animals?

a)

A) The migration of birds to warmer regions during winter

b)

B) The thick fur of polar bears to insulate against cold

c)

C) The nocturnal behavior of owls

d)

D) The hibernation of bears during winter

25.

How does genetic variation contribute to the process of natural selection?

a)

A) It decreases the chances of survival for a species

b)

B) It provides a pool of traits that may enhance survival in changing environments

c)

C) It leads to the extinction of less adapted species

d)

D) It ensures that all individuals in a species are identical