* Adaptation in Organisms *
A snake has a mutation. The mutation gives the snake a trait that no other snake has. Which statement is the best piece of evidence to argue that the trait is beneficial in this population?
The trait is beneficial if it helps the snake survive and have more offspring.
Finches that Darwin observed on the Galapagos Islands were descended from a single species that migrated from the South American mainland. What conclusion is best supported by the data?
Selection pressures like food source affect the phenotype proportion in a population.
Marcy examines an organism in class with the following characteristics: cell walls, chloroplasts, runners, large central vacuole, and chlorophyll. In which kingdom should she classify the organism?
What is Plantae
Male bowerbirds use their intelligence to design and construct elaborate and colorful structures called bowers. What is the best scientific reasoning for how the male bowerbirds benefit from constructing bowers?
Male bowerbirds constructing the bowers is a behavioral adaptation that allows the male bowerbirds to attract female mates.
In areas with low levels of pollution, which coloration of the moth population is most likely to be more prevalent, and why?
An area with low levels of pollution will most likely have the speckled (light) grey moths in a higher genotypic proportion.
* This is because the speckled grey coloration provides better camouflage against the natural light-colored background, making the moths less visible to predators. In environments with less pollution, where tree bark and other surfaces are lighter in color, light-colored moths have a survival advantage, leading to an increase in their proportion within the population over time.
A desert mouse has a mutation making it darker than other mice related to it. The darker mouse has fur that is exactly the same color as the sand in its area. Which statement best describes this change?
The change is a structural adaptation and is likely beneficial because the mouse will be harder for predators to see.
A certain population of jungle birds has mostly green feathers, with a few birds having brown feathers. What would be the best explanation for a change that could cause the brown-feathered birds to become more common than the green-feathered birds?
A new predator prefers the green-feathered birds.
A group of students used a diagram to classify three organisms into different kingdoms. All organisms are multicellular, 2 have cell wall s, wile one does not. The one with no cell wall has no chloroplast. Of the two with a cell wall one has a chloroplast and doesn't. What are the 3 Kingdoms?
Some examples of behavioral adaptations are listed below:
Which of these behavioral adaptations would most likely increase an organism’s probability of surviving a change in temperature?
What is 1,2, and 3
Students discover a new moth in the area with peppered moths that has a very similar body shape and structure as the peppered moth. Based on data, how would you classify the newly discovered moth?
The newly discovered moth is a variant of peppered moths because it was able to breed fertile offspring with the peppered moth.
Most South American monkeys have color vision, but the Aotus genus of "owl monkeys" lost it over time. What would make the loss of color vision most likely beneficial for Aotus?
The monkeys are active only at night.
Individuals among a species of ground beetle show equal variation in color from light brown to dark brown. The species is introduced to an environment with dark soil. What prediction is most likely for ground beetle color variation in the new environment?
The proportion of dark brown beetles would increase over time due to natural selection.
A new organism is discovered. It is multicellular, heterotrophic, and moves on its own. To which two kingdoms could the organism belong?
What is Animalia, Protista
A snake has evolved a behavior to seek shelter during the hottest part of the day to avoid the extreme desert heat. This behavior is best classified as:
What is behavioral adaptation for thermoregulation.
How do pollution levels in the environment influence the coloration of moth populations, and what impact does this have on their survival?
Pollution levels in the environment are influencing the color of the moths by changing the color of tree trunks, affecting camouflage.
*In areas with higher pollution, soot and dirt darken the tree trunks, making darker-colored moths less visible to predators. As a result, the darker moths (such as the melanic form) are better camouflaged and more likely to survive and reproduce, whereas lighter-colored moths become more visible to predators. This shift in coloration over time is an example of natural selection driven by environmental changes.
A fish in a pond has longer protective spines than any other fish of its species. The spines keep the fish safe from predators. The fish has many offspring, which also have long spines. What is the best analysis of the data?
A mutation caused a structural adaptation that is a beneficial change in the fish.
How would you describe the mechanism of natural selection in the context of the speckled vs. dark-colored peppered moths in industrial areas?
An area with high levels of pollution will most likely have the dark grey moths in a higher genotypic proportion.
Organisms are classified in three domains: Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya. A single-celled organism that lives in extremely hot or acidic environments with no membrane-bound organelles most likely belongs to:
What is Archaea
A cheetah's speed is a structural adaptation that helps it catch prey. Explain the relationship between structural and behavioral adaptations in animals like cheetahs?
The cheetah's speed is a structural adaptation that enhances its ability to behave in ways that improve its survival, like chasing down fast prey.
How does natural selection lead to the adaptation of moth populations in response to changes in environmental conditions such as pollution?
Moths with coloration that blends in with their environment are less likely to be eaten by predators, so the proportion of moths with that coloration increases over time.
What adaptation that would function to reduce water loss from a plant?
Waxy covering coats the leaf.
Scientists discover a new moth in the area with peppered moths. This new moth appears to be a medium gray in color. What criteria would best provide evidence that this new moth is of the same species of the peppered moth?
The new moth is able to mate and have fertile offspring with the peppered moths.
How are organisms classified as Eukarya different from organisms classified as Archaea and Bacteria?
They all have membrane-bound nuclei.
The migration of monarch butterflies is a seasonal behavior that helps them survive in changing climates. What would be an example of a structural adaptation that supports this behavior?
A special wing structure that allows them to fly long distances during migration.
If a population of peppered moths undergoes a genetic mutation that results in a new color pattern that gives them a survival advantage, what is the process by which this mutation becomes more common in the population over time?
Natural selection increases the frequency of the beneficial mutation, leading to its prevalence in the population over generations.