Vocabulary
What is Extinction?
the disappearance of an entire species.
In natural selection which animals are more likely to survive?
The animlas that are better suited for their environment?
What is an adaptation?
the act or process of changing to better suit a situation
What is one possible result of genetic variation?
Structural, functional, or behavioral change.
If an ecosystem is changed through a natural disaster, organisms will have the best chance of survival
if
a.) their environment has few abiotic factors
b.) the organisms are large
c.) the population size is small
d.) their species exhibits genetic variation
d.) their species exhibits genetic variation
What is Natural Selection?
The process whereby organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring.
Who came up with the idea of natural selection?
Charles Darwin
What is one way in which an arctic bunny has adapted to its environment?
It has white fur to help it blend in.
What is one structural change that has happened to Polar Bear?
Polar bears have developed fur on the soles of their feet to keep their skin off of the ice and help them with traction.
A species that lacks the variation necessary to adapt to a changing environment is more likely to
a.) develop many mutated cells
b.) become extinct over time
c.) begin to reproduce sexually
d.) develop resistance to diseases
b.) become extinct over time
What is Mutation?
A change in the DNA
What are two of the four conditions of natural selection?
Overproduction, the finite resources, genetic variation, and selection and reproduction.
How does a Monarch Butterfly’s bright orange color help it to survive?
It's bright orange color is a warning to predators that it is poisonous?
What is a functional change that occurs in electric eels?
The muscles of electric eels produce a shock that can stun or kill its prey.
In several species of birds, the males show off their bright colors and long feathers. The dull-colored females usually pick the brightest colored males for mates. Male offspring inherit their father’s bright colors and long feathers. Compared to earlier generations, future generations of these birds will be expected to have a greater proportion of
a.) bright-colored females
b.) dull-colored females
c.) dull-colored males
d.) bright-colored males
d.) bright-colored males
What is Evolution?
the change in the characteristics of a species over several generations
How does natural selection affect a species over time?
The long term result of natural selection is a change in the frequency of certain traits in a population. Good traits become more common while bad traits tend to become less common.
What type of organisms will you see evolve quickly?
Organisms that reproduce quickly?
What is a behavioral change that has occurred in male walruses?
Male walruses will fight each other in order to breed with a group of females and pass their genetic material down.
Young birds that have been raised in isolation from members of their species build nests
characteristic of their species. This suggests that the nest-building behavior is
a.) genetically inherited from parents
b.) learned by watching members of their species
c.) a disadvantage to the survival of the species
d.) a direct result of the type of food the bird eats
a.) genetically inherited from parents
What is Genetic Variation?
The unique combination of traits each organism inherits from its parents.
How did natural selection affect the peppered moths?
Natural selection occurred as pollution gave the black peppered moths an advantage over the white peppered moths. The black moths were able to blend in with the smoke while the white ones stood out and were easier prey for birds.
What is an adaptation that helps giraffes survive?
Giraffes are tall with long necks that help them eat leaves high in the trees.
Why is genetic variation important?
Genetic variation is important because if there is an environmental change it helps to ensure that the entire species won't go extinct.
Selective breeding is a technique that is used to
a.) give all organisms a chance to reproduce
b.) produce organisms from extinct species
c.) produce offspring with certain desirable traits
d.) keep farm crops free of all mutations
c.) produce offspring with certain desirable traits