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Traits and Behaviors

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Which of the following is an instinctive behavior that an animal could inherit from its parents?

a)

A raccoon taking lids off of trash cans to find food

b)

A dog barking loudly when the doorbell rings

c)

A seal balancing a ball on the end of its nose

d)

A bee flying from flower to flower to get nectar

2.

Which of the following is an example of a learned behavior?

a)

A turtle laying its eggs on the beach

b)

A dog retrieving a stick for its owner

c)

A bird migrating south for the winter

d)

A baby chick cracking open its shell

3.

Which of these is a learned trait that a bear could acquire during its lifetime?

a)

Taking food from human campsites

b)

Having an excellent sense of smell

c)

Growling when there is danger

d)

Hibernating during the winter

4.

A group of science students created a chart to show what they knew about inherited traits and learned behaviors in children. Which of these is an inherited trait the students could put in that column of the chart?

a)

Cooking a meal

b)

Speaking English

c)

Crying when hurt

d)

Using a pencil

5.

How do genetic traits differ from learned behaviors?

a)

Genetic traits are inherited from parents, while learned behaviors are acquired through experience.

b)

Learned behaviors are inherited from parents, while genetic traits are acquired through experience.

c)

Both are inherited from parents.

d)

Both are acquired through experience.

6.

Six animal behaviors are listed. Which of the behaviors are inherited?

a)

Behaviors 1, 3, and 5 only

b)

Behaviors 2, 3, 4, and 6 only

c)

Behaviors 2, 4, 5, and 6 only

d)

All 6 behaviors

7.

Consider a bird that learns to mimic sounds. What does this tell us about learned behaviors?

a)

Learned behaviors are always inherited.

b)

Learned behaviors can be influenced by the environment.

c)

Learned behaviors are the same for all animals.

d)

Learned behaviors are not influenced by the environment.

8.

The stripes on a Zebra make it stand out on the African savannah, but when in large groups (herds) the stripes of many Zebras together make each individual blend into the crowd. This makes it harder for predators to focus in on one individual. These stripes are an example of....

a)

An acquired trait

b)

A learned behavior

c)

An inherited trait

d)

An inherited behavior (instinct)

9.

Which of these is an inherited trait in human beings?

a)

Playing soccer

b)

Having blue eyes

c)

Being able to read

d)

Speaking Spanish

10.

A student drew a picture of their pet parrot and listed its traits. Which of the parrot’s traits is learned?

a)

It has brightly colored feathers.

b)

It eats seeds and drinks water.

c)

It repeats words after me.

d)

It has wings and can fly.

11.

Chimpanzees are born with some inherited traits but learn others as they move around in their environment. Which of the following traits could a chimpanzee learn during its lifetime?

a)

Living in large groups with other chimps

b)

Walking quickly on both arms and legs

c)

Using a stick to dig ants out of the ground

d)

Sleeping at night and hunting during the day

12.

A skill that a human or animal learns after it's born.

a)

inherited trait

b)

genes

c)

learned behavior

d)

heredity

13.

A quality or characteristic of a living thing.

a)

trait

b)

genes

c)

behavior

d)

population

14.

A characteristic that a living thing gets in its lifetime.

a)

acquired traits

b)

inherited traits

c)

genes

d)

population

15.

The passing on of traits and physical features from parents to their offspring.

a)

population

b)

heredity

c)

trait

d)

acquired trait

16.

A way in which a living thing acts or responds to its surrounding.

a)

behavior

b)

inherited traits

c)

genes

d)

heredity

17.

Knowing how to read a book is an example of ____________.

a)

physical trait

b)

inherited trait

c)

learned behavior

d)

inherited behavior

18.

A mother dog and her puppy both have curly fur. Which BEST explains this?

a)

In dogs, curly fur is more common than straight fur.

b)

In dogs, curly fur is an acquired trait.

c)

The mother dog acquired curly fur and passed on that trait to her puppy.

d)

The mother dog inherited curly fur and passed on that trait to her puppy.

19.

In a population of cardinals, all the birds have short beaks. Their short beaks are an example of _________________.

a)

a learned behavior

b)

an inherited trait

c)

an acquired trait

d)

an inherited behavior

20.

A pine tree and its offspring are both bent in the same way. Which statement MOST LIKELY explains why they are both bent?

a)

The parent tree inherited this trait from its offspring.

b)

Both trees inherited the trait of being bent.

c)

The offspring inherited this trait from the parent tree.

d)

They both acquired this trait from being blown by the wind.

21.

Which of the following is an example of an inherited trait in animals?

a)

A) A cat learning to open doors

b)

B) A bird building a nest

c)

C) A dog having a curly tail

d)

D) A fish swimming upstream

22.

What is the primary difference between a learned behavior and an inherited trait?

a)

A) Learned behaviors are passed down genetically, while inherited traits are acquired through experience.

b)

B) Inherited traits are passed down genetically, while learned behaviors are acquired through experience.

c)

C) Both are acquired through experience.

d)

D) Both are passed down genetically.

23.

Which of the following behaviors is most likely learned rather than inherited?

a)

A) A spider spinning a web

b)

B) A child riding a bicycle

c)

C) A bird migrating south

d)

D) A fish breathing underwater

24.

In an experiment, a group of mice is trained to navigate a maze. What type of behavior is this an example of?

a)

A) Inherited behavior

b)

B) Instinctive behavior

c)

C) Learned behavior

d)

D) Genetic behavior

25.

How can environmental factors influence learned behaviors in animals?

a)

A) They can change the genetic makeup of the animal.

b)

B) They can provide new experiences that shape behavior.

c)

C) They can eliminate inherited traits.

d)

D) They can prevent the animal from learning new behaviors.