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100
Natural selection favors populations with traits that help them survive and reproduce, such as each of the following EXCEPT _______. A) camouflage B) inability to mate C) sensory abilities D) food gathering adaptations
What is B) inability to mate
100
_____ is an adaptation that allows an organism to blend into its environment. A) Camouflage B) Isolation C) Mimicry D) Variation
What is A) Camouflage
100
Some fruit flies have developed wings that are shorter than normal. Fruit flies with short wings cannot fly. Based on this information, which is the best prediction for the survival of short-wing fruit flies? A) There will eventually be fewer short-wing fruit flies than normal fruit flies. B) There will eventually be more short-wing fruit flies than normal fruit flies. C) There will eventually be the same number of short-wing fruit flies as normal fruit flies. D) Short-wing fruit flies will mate with normal fruit flies produce offspring with medium-length wings.
What is A) There will eventually be fewer short-wing fruit flies than normal fruit flies.
100
Which is most likely to become a fossil? A) a jellyfish in the ocean B) a skeleton in a large lake C) an earthworm in a damp forest D) a skeleton in a riverbed that is drying up
What is D) a skeleton in a riverbed that is drying up
100
A fossil may form when leaves of a plant are buried and subjected to heat and pressure. What material forms the imprint? A) Mud B) Iron C) Clay D) Carbon
What is D) Carbon
200
Which statement best explains how natural selection occurs? A) Natural selection occurs when organisms are geographically isolated. B) Natural selection occurs when an organism’s offspring grow unnecessary structures. C) Natural selection occurs when characteristics from the parent organism are inherited. D) Natural selection occurs when an inherited variation in a population produces different rates of survival and reproduction.
What is D) Natural selection occurs when an inherited variation in a population produces different rates of survival and reproduction.
200
A certain plant species has changed over time to contain a bad-tasting chemical. Which of the following is the most likely outcome of this adaptation? A) Animals are less likely to eat the plant. B) The plant will be able to live in many different environments. C) The chemical is used to aid in photosynthesis. D) Animals are less likely to find the plant in its environment.
What is A) Animals are less likely to eat the plant.
200
Almost 600 years ago, European rabbits were introduced to the Canary Islands. Now, Canary Island rabbits are so different in size, eye color, ear shape, and other features that they are considered separate species. What does this illustrate? A) Change is uncommon in most species. B) Species remain generally unaffected by the environment. C) Species only change through millions of years. D) Natural selection can change a species over time.
What is D) Natural selection can change a species over time.
200
If a fossil dissolves away, it can leave behind a cavity in the rock called a _____. A) carbon film B) cast C) mold D) sediment
What is C) mold
200
Occasionally a whole animal is found preserved as a fossil. Probably the _____. A) animal became trapped in material such as amber or ice B) animal was not very well preserved when it was found C) fossil is a result of weathering or erosion D) fossil did not become stone because of the environment
What is A) animal became trapped in material such as amber or ice
300
If an organism is adapted to its environment, that organism _____. A) has traits that are helpful for living in that environment B) must be the most fit in the environment C) must reproduce and pass its traits on to its offspring D) is a link between species
What is A) has traits that are helpful for living in that environment
300
A paleontologist found the skull of an extinct animal. She did not know what the animal was, but based on what she knows about present-day animals, she was sure that it preyed on other animals for its food. What clue led to this conclusion? A) The eye sockets faced sideways. B) The skull was much longer than it was wide. C) There was a projecting ridge along the top of the skull. D) Four of the teeth were long and pointed.
What is D) Four of the teeth were long and pointed.
300
If over time in order to adapt, a species develops a thick, hard shell, which would be a likely characteristic that the species’ predator might develop? A) Better eyesight B) Thick, hard shell C) Strong, sharp teeth D) Long, powerful back legs
What is C) Strong, sharp teeth
300
A fossil that forms within the cavity of a mold fossil is a ______ fossil. A) cast B) petrified C) carbonized D) preserved remains
What is A) cast
300
Fossilized animal tracks are an example of _____. A) petrified materials B) trace fossils C) molds D) casts
What is B) trace fossils
400
Tortoises on the Galápagos Islands are generally similar, but those on each island are unique. The differences among the tortoises on different islands occurred because of _______. A) camouflage B) climatic changes C) environment isolation D) tectonic activity
What is C) environment isolation
400
A number of insecticides do not kill insects as effectively as they once did. This is probably because _____. A) some insects develop tolerance to insecticides and survive to produce offspring B) the insecticides are from different manufacturers C) the climate is becoming warmer D) the environment has changed
What is A) some insects develop tolerance to insecticides and survive to produce offspring
400
_____ are the preserved remains or traces of plants or animals from Earth’s past. A) Traits B) Fossils C) Epochs D) Geologic columns
What is B) Fossils
400
The cast of an object looks like _____. A) an imprint of the object B) a mold of the object C) a trace fossil of the object D) the object itself
What is D) the object itself
400
Which of the following is an example of a trace fossil? A) petrified wood B) dinosaur footprint C) mummified remains D) insect trapped in amber
What is B) dinosaur footprint
500
Which organisms in an environment are most likely to survive over time? A) Organisms with the most offspring B) Organisms best suited to the environment C) Organisms that live in colonies or groups D) Organisms that live in the water
What is B) Organisms best suited to the environment
500
The spines of a cactus once were leaves. The stem of the cactus is thick, fleshy and covered with a waxy material. The roots of a cactus are shallow and spread over a large area. The cactus plant’s adaptations meet what need that its environment does NOT provide? A) Enough solar energy because of short daylight hours B) Enough heat because of long, cold, snowy winters C) Enough water because of many hot, dry, sunny days D) Enough carbon dioxide for photosynthesis
What is C) Enough water because of many hot, dry, sunny days
500
A fossil shows the features of an organism that lived long ago. To be a fossil that organism must have died 10,000 or more years ago. Which of the following is a fossil? A) Bird tracks in the snow B) A picture of a deer drawn by a person C) A piece of coal with the imprint of a fern D) Sandstone with ripple marks caused by running water
What is C) A piece of coal with the imprint of a fern
500
Using the choices below, which of the following is a fossil formed by petrification? A) Black outline of a plant leaf B) Rock-like wood C) Mud-filled shape of a gastropod shell D) Insect in amber
What is B) Rock-like wood
500
Which type of fossil can provide clues about the activities of ancient organisms? A) trace fossils B) remains preserved in amber C) carbon films D) molds and casts
What is A) trace fossils
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