WorksheetsMutations and Natural Selection Quiz
Total questions: 14
Worksheet time: 12mins
What is a mutation?
A change in an organism’s traits caused by its environment
A change in a gene that can be passed down to offspring
A temporary condition that affects an organism’s survival
A way for organisms to develop superpowers
How do mutations affect an organism?
All mutations are harmful
All mutations give organisms special abilities
Some mutations are beneficial, some are harmful, and some have no effect
Mutations always change an organism’s appearance
What determines whether a mutation is adaptive or non-adaptive?
The organism’s size
The organism’s environment
The organism’s diet
The amount of DNA in the organism
How did some bed bugs survive exposure to insecticides?
They learned to avoid sprayed areas
They developed a taste for poison
They had genetic mutations that made their exoskeletons tougher
They became smaller to escape detection
What happened to bed bugs with tougher exoskeletons over time?
They became extinct
They became more common because they survived and reproduced
They stopped feeding on blood
They moved to a different habitat
Why are some cane toads in Australia developing bigger legs?
Mutations led to longer, stronger legs that help them find food
The toads eat a special diet that makes their legs grow
Scientists are breeding toads with larger legs
Toads that don’t move fast enough are removed from the population
How does natural selection affect organisms with adaptive traits?
Adaptive traits make organisms more likely to survive and reproduce
Adaptive traits always make organisms larger
Organisms with adaptive traits stop evolving
Adaptive traits only help predators, not prey
Why do blue lobsters exist?
They were created through genetic engineering
A mutation caused them to produce more of a certain protein
They were exposed to pollution in the ocean
They blend in better with the ocean floor
How do blue lobsters compare to normal-colored lobsters in terms of survival?
Blue lobsters are more likely to be eaten by predators
Blue lobsters survive and reproduce at the same rate as other lobsters
Blue lobsters are stronger and faster than other lobsters
Blue lobsters do not reproduce
What is the role of mutations in natural selection?
Mutations create new traits, which may help organisms survive in a changing environment
Mutations only cause harm and do not help organisms
Mutations stop natural selection from happening
Mutations make all organisms look the same
Which statement best describes natural selection?
Organisms with traits that help them survive and reproduce pass those traits to their offspring
Only the largest organisms in a population survive
Mutations always lead to beneficial changes in an organism
Organisms choose which traits they want to pass to their offspring
What happens to non-adaptive mutations over time?
They always become more common
They disappear because organisms with these traits do not survive and reproduce as well
They spread faster than adaptive traits
They always lead to a new species
Explain how bed bugs became more resistant to insecticides using the concept of natural selection.
Describe how a mutation in cane toads led to an adaptive trait. How does this mutation help them survive in their environment?
