A process by which a population becomes better suited to its environment by increasing the frequencies of alleles that provide benefits to survival and reproduction
Adaptation
In a given population of plants there is variation in the time of day when flowers open. Those individual plants with flowers that open at night would be more likely to pass on this trait in an environment dominated by what kind of pollinator?
Nocturnal Pollinator
In order for natural selection to have produced the long necks of giraffes, what must have been true about the evolutionary history of giraffes?
The length of giraffe’s necks must have showed variation within the species in every generation
Bromeliads are a family of plants living in a variety of climates. Some have scales or hairs called trichomes that allow the plant to capture and store water. What type of environment would having this trait be beneficial?
Trichomes increase the chances of survival for plants living in areas with infrequent rainfall.
Organisms of the same species that are at the same level of descent from a common ancestor; a parent is a member of one generation, and its offspring are members of the next generation
Generation
In order to grow antlers, a male moose must expend a great amount of the energy it gets from food. In an environment where food resources are limited, it would be predicted that there would be an increase in which kind of antlers?
Type C
Animals in a dry and hot environment are specifically adapted to that habitat. What contributed to the selection of these adaptations?
Some adaptations over time offer survival advantages in a hot and dry environment
These were then passed on to the next generation
A characteristic of an organism; can be genetic or acquired
Trait
A group of interacting individuals of the same species located in the same area
Population
Some plants have developed a thick, waxy coating that helps prevent the loss of water. In order for plants to develop this thick, waxy coating over many generations, what must be true?
The plants must have variation in the amount of waxy coating
Over time, a species of mammals living in cold environments may evolve long fur. Describe how natural selection creates this adaptation.
Mammals with slightly longer fur have a survival advantage.
Over time, mammals with this trait will be better adapted to survive in colder climates.
Natural selection takes place over a _____ period of time
Long
A trait that is beneficial to an organism and will likely be chosen by natural selection
Favorable Trait
A population of a certain kind of fish is introduced into a new habitat. These fish have variations in color from light to dark.
What color fish do you expect to be towards the surface and what color towards the bottom?
Light color towards the surface
Dark color towards the bottom
Why have organisms developed physical and behavioral adaptations over time?
Give an example.
The traits most suited to an environment are the traits passed down most often, causing them to become adaptations
Example: Ducks, geese, and swans have webbed feet that help them swim to look for food.
A group of organisms with similar characteristics that are able to interbreed or exchange genetic material
Species
Process by which organisms with favorable traits produce more successful offspring than organisms with less-favorable traits, causing the favorable traits to become more common in the population
Natural Selection
Catfish have dorsal fin spines, which help defend against predators, and caudal fins, which help to propel the fish through the water. A swim bladder controls how high or low the fish sits in the water and gills allow the fish to breathe by taking oxygen out of the water. Catfish spend most of their lives at the bottom of freshwater lakes and streams. Which catfish trait may change (over many generations) if the pond habitat in which it lives becomes significantly deeper?
Swim Bladder
In a forest, which would be more likely to survive and reproduce: a population of white rabbits or a population of brown rabbits?
Explain your reasoning
Brown rabbits would be more likely to survive and reproduce because they will most likely blend into their surroundings and be able to hide from predators
The variety of gene combinations that exist within a population
Genetic Variation