Natural selection
Different forms of the same gene that can produce different versions of a characteristic are called these.
What are alleles?
This scientist is most famous for proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection.
Who is Charles Darwin?
These are sections of DNA that contain instructions for particular traits.
What are genes?
This poisonous species was introduced into Australia in 1935 to control agricultural pests.
What are cane toads?
Earth has this many planets in its Solar System.
What is eight?
These are differences between individuals of the same species that can affect their survival.
What is variation?
This is the biological group of organisms that can reproduce with each other and produce fertile offspring.
What is a species?
This molecule carries the genetic information of most living organisms.
What is DNA?
This is the main reason cane toads are dangerous to many Australian predators.
What is their toxic poison?
What is Au?
The chemical symbol for gold.
This is the process by which organisms with advantageous traits survive and reproduce more successfully.
What is natural selection?
This occurs when populations of the same species become so different that they can no longer successfully reproduce with each other.
What is speciation?
This is the process by which a new species forms when populations of the same species become reproductively isolated from each other.
What is speciation?
Cane toads at the front of the invasion have evolved longer legs, giving them this advantage.
What is the ability to move faster and travel further?
A substance with a pH below 7 is classified as this.
What is an acid?
Over many generations, this can occur when the frequency of advantageous inherited traits increases in a population.
What is evolution?
This process can cause populations to become separated and eventually develop into different species.
What is reproductive isolation?
An organism's observable characteristics, such as eye colour or height, are collectively called this.
What is the phenotype?
This Australian predator was trained to avoid cane toads by eating “toad sausages” containing a nausea-inducing chemical.
What are northern quolls?
These blood cells are mainly responsible for fighting infections.
What are white blood cells?
This is the term for a trait that increases an organism's chances of surviving and reproducing in its environment.
What is an adaptation?
Darwin observed these birds on the Galápagos Islands and noticed differences in their beak shapes.
What are finches?
These two factors interact to influence an organism's characteristics and ability to survive.
What are genes and the environment?
Queensland quolls have learned to avoid cane toads through this type of learning, where they associate the toad with becoming sick.
What is conditioned taste aversion?
This animal's fingerprints are remarkably similar to human fingerprints.
What is a koala