Research
Plant-like
Fish
Reptiles/Birds
Mammals
100
A body structure or behavior that helps an animal survive
What is an adaptation
100
What is an adaptation for trees having thin leaves?
What is large surface area (more light hits the leaf) What is short distance for CO2 to get into leaves
100
What was the first "fish" to evolve a backbone? What's so special about them?
What is the hagfish; but they don't have a vertebrate column! They're the only fish to have a skull with no vertebrate column (they also slime...a lot...)
100
How do you differentiate between a turtle and a tortoise? Which turtle is the exception to the rule?
What is turtles TYPICALLY live like amphibians, have webbed toes, and lives in moist climates. Tortoises lives only on land, separate toes, lives in dry climates, has a thick/heavy shell, and very sturdy legs to hold up the shell. The box turtle is the exception to the rule (separate toes and does not live in the water).
100
What are the characteristics of an organism being in mammalia?
What is mammary gland (produces milk for young), fur, vertebrate, and "warm blooded" (temperature of body/blood does not fluctuate with the environment).
200
What are two organisms that are an example of being at "arm's race"?
What is the (garter) snake and salamander
200
What are two reasons why plants need fire
1. Opens seeds 2. Allows other plants to grow that couldn't grow before
200
Sharks have more than 5 senses, what are two of their extra senses? (There are 8 senses total).
What is (1) Ampullae of Lorenzini; special pores with gel that can detect electrical pulses that every living thing generates. (2) EXTREME sense of smell; they can smell other sharks' blood in a 2 mile radius and will leave the area because another shark was harmed/killed. (3) Lateral line; they can detect changes of pressure in the water like other fish.
200
Birds must have special characteristics to fly...What are these characteristics?
What is (1) Being light in weight (compared to their body size). (2) Air sacs. (3) Strong, specialized wing muscles. (4) Hollow bones. (5) Feathers.
200
What are the two characteristics of the mammalian order, Carnivora? Which animal is the exception and why?
What is (1) eats meat and (2) has canine teeth. Pandas are the exception, they are vegetarians but have canines so they are classified in Carnivora
300
What are three characteristics of a "good" scientific question?
1. has real answers (yes or no) 2. Testable (experiment could be designed from the question) 3. Hypothesis can be false (after testing) 4. They're interesting!
300
Where would you find a "CAM" plant? **100 pt BONUS: what is an example of a CAM plant?**
What is in a desert (low amounts of water) **pineapple or cactus**
300
What are the three different fish mouth types and what are their functions? **possible bonus points for correct examples to go along with the mouth types**
What is (1) Terminal; for catching prey right in front its mouth. (2) Superior; for catching prey above their mouth or at the surface (such as insects/algae). (3) Inferior; bottom feeders that scavenge through the sediments
300
What are the characteristics to make an organism a reptile?
What is (1) scales made of keratin. (2) Amniotic egg that is fertilized internally. (3) "Cold-blooded" their body/blood temperature matches that of the environment
300
There are only two species in the mammalian order "Monotrema," (1) what are they and (2) what makes them a monotreme? (3) What are two adaptations that are special to one of these organisms?
What is (1) The platypus and echidna (2) they are the only mammals to lay eggs (3) the platypus has poisonous spurs and senses electrical pulses with bill
400
Why do scientists classify organisms? (i.e. into phylum, order, species...)
So that they are easier to study
400
How did plants make the first "leap" on land?
What is with the help of a root fungus
400
What are the four reasons why sharks are misunderstood?
What is (1) Sharks typically don't like the way humans taste and just think surfers are seals. (2) Finning; humans kill WAY more sharks (in a cruel way) than sharks kill humans by only cutting off the fins and leaving the body to die. (3) The media; More people are killed by vending machines and coconuts falling on their heads than shark attacks, but the media only reports the "interesting" stories (like shark attacks). (4) The movie Jaws; gave sharks a bad rep
400
You (for SOME reason) went to Australia to study crocodiles. You were standing near the water and a crocodile reached out and grabbed you; WHAT deadly move would the crocodile use on you and how could you free yourself? **100 pt BONUS: how could you have desensitized the crocodile to not realize you were there?**
What is a deadly spin move to drown and disorient you; reach in the mouth of the crocodile and pop the air sac in the cheek so the crocodile can't hold it's breath long. **tap around the mouth and mess up their receptors so they don't know when to snap**
400
Why do Marsupials have a pouch?
What is they do not have a placenta to protect their babies from the mom's immune system, so the young develops outside the body in the special pouch.
500
What is the difference between an observation and an inference? Give one example
Observation: viewing or noting a fact or occurrence. Inference: An idea or conclusion that is drawn from evidence and reasoning (educated guess). O: the boy is in the pond; I: the goat shoved the boy in the pond
500
What did plants evolve to be independent of living in and reproducing in water?
1. (vascular) tissue 2. roots 3. (waxy cuticle) must not dry out 4. seeds/pollen
500
Tuna are extreme fast-swimming predators; which body and tail shape do they use to reach top speeds? **100 point BONUS: what kind of tuna sold for $1.76 million?**
What is fusiform body and forked tail; **bluefin tuna**
500
Tuataras are adorable like otters, but also have some hidden secrets...(1) is the tuatara a lizard? (2) What is dangerous about its bite? (3) What is the weird characteristic that they are born with? **200 pt BONUS: what is "tuatara" translated into english?**
What is (1) not a lizard. (2) shearing bite: two rows of teeth on top jaw, and one row of teeth on the bottom that fits into the two above. (3) all hatchlings have a third-eye that is later covered up and only differentiates light and dark. **"Peaks on back"**
500
(1) Which organisms belong to the order Lagomorpha? (2) What are the two characteristics that make them a lagomorph? (3) What were the special adaptations that allows them to live in such opposite climates? HINT: they share it with elephants
What is (1) Rabbits, Hares, and Pikas (2) Large hind legs for hopping and double teeth (incisors) (3) Desert rabbits have large ears and long legs to allow more wind to blow on them and cool them down, snow bunnies have short ears and limbs to keep them close to their warm body
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