Name:     ID: 
 
Email: 

Assessment-Variations in Pops (Elliott Only)

Online Assessment
Instructions
1)
Type in your first and last name in the “Name” box in the top-left corner.
2) Next type in your teacher’s name in the “ID” box.
3) Then type in your school’s name in the “Email” box.
4) Select the best answer for each question.
5) When you are finished click the “Grade and Submit” button.
6) The grade will be emailed to your teacher.
 

 1. 

NOTE: This assessment is only for Mr. Elliott’s students.
---If you are not one of Mr. Elliott’s students then please go back to the website and click on the link for other teachers. Thanks!

A population of birds only ate seeds from two different types of trees. About half of the birds had smaller beaks for eating small seeds, and the other half had larger beaks for eating big seeds.
Smaller Beak
Larger Beak
mc001-1.jpg
mc001-2.jpg
A drought occurred over several years, and it killed off all of the trees with the small seeds. At the end of this dry period, nearly all the birds had larger beaks. 
How is this best explained?
a.
The birds with larger beaks killed and ate the birds with smaller beaks.
b.
Larger beaked birds were better at eating the large seeds from the trees that survived. 
c.
The small-beaked birds grew larger beaks so they could eat big seeds.
d.
A new predator arrived in this ecosystem, and it only ate small beaked birds.  
 

 2. 

Variation happens as a result of the exchange of genetic information as it is passed from
parent to offspring.
Which of the following is true about inherited variation?
a.
Variation can influence the amount of available food in an ecosystem
b.
Variation can influence the amount of rainfall in an ecosystem
c.
Variation can influence whether organisms are more likely to survive to reproduce.
d.
Variation can influence the resources that are available to an organism.
 

 3. 

In a population of spiders there are three different sizes: small, medium, and large.
---The large spiders are easily seen by predators.
---Small spiders have a difficult time finding food.
Small Variant
Medium Variant
Large Variant
mc003-1.jpg
mc003-2.jpg
mc003-3.jpg
What will most likely happen to this population of spiders after many generations?
a.
Large spiders will learn to hide from predators
b.
Medium spiders will be the most plentiful
c.
Small and medium spiders will be the least plentiful
d.
Small and large spiders will mutate
 

 4. 

A certain species of rabbit exhibits different fur colors depending on the season. The table below shows some data collected on this rabbit species during the summer.
Rabbit Fur Color
Percentage of Population
Gray
37%
Brown
52%
Black
10%
White
1%

Which fur color will probably increase the most during the upcoming snowy winter?
a.
Brown
b.
White
c.
Gray
d.
Black
 

 5. 

This data table shows the percentage of individuals in a population of insects that were killed by two different insecticides.
Insect Termination Percentages
Population
Insecticide 1
Insecticide 2
1
12.8 %
48.5 %
2
52.5 %
2 %
3
28.6 %
9.2 %
4
0 %
0 %
5
2.8 %
66.6 %
6
3.6 %
78.5 %
Two-part question:
Part 1: Which population would be most affected from the first insecticide?
Part 2: Which population would be least affected from the second insecticide?
a.
Population two is most affected by insecticide 1.
Population four is least affected by insecticide 2.
b.
Population four is most affected by insecticide 1.
Population two is least affected by insecticide 2.
c.
Population five is most affected by insecticide 1.
Population six is least affected by insecticide 2.
d.
Population one is most affected by insecticide 1.
Population two is least affected by insecticide 2.
 

 6. 

One population of rabbits in a meadow near a forest in Canada contained four variants
1) Rabbits that could run faster
2) Rabbits that had light colored fur (white or gray)
3) Rabbits with dark colored fur (black or brown)
4) Rabbits that had larger ears
From 1987 to 1988  the climate changed so that the winter lasted much longer than usual.
                        mc006-1.jpg
Which variant of rabbits most likely benefited during this period of climate change?
a.
The rabbits with larger ears were the best adapted to this change in climate.
b.
The faster rabbits had a significant advantage over the slower rabbits.
c.
Rabbits with darker colored fur benefited and increased in numbers.
d.
Rabbits with lighter colored fur benefited and increased in numbers.
 

 7. 


The picture below shows male stag beetles that have different mandible types.
Image A
Image B
mc007-1.jpg
mc007-2.jpg
---Male beetles with large mandibles are best at guarding burrows where females have laid eggs (see image A above).
---Males whose mandibles are absent are best at digging alternate entrances to a guarded burrow to reach females (see image A above).
---The table shows the number of male stag beetles with different mandible types in one population (see image B above).


Based on this information, which two mandible types will probably become less common in this population over time?
a.
Absent and Small
c.
Large and Medium
b.
Absent and Medium
d.
Small and Medium
 

 8. 

This data table shows the percentage of individuals in a population of insects that survived after the application of two different insecticides.
Insect Survival Percentages
Population
Insecticide 1
Insecticide 2
1
12.8 %
48.5 %
2
52.5 %
2 %
3
28.6 %
9.2 %
4
0 %
0 %
Two-part question:
Part 1: Which population would be most affected from the first insecticide?
Part 2: Which population would be least affected from the first insecticide?
a.
Population four is most affected, and population two  is least affected.
b.
Population two is most affected, and population three is least affected.
c.
Population one is most affected, and population two is least affected.
d.
Population two is most affected, and population four is least affected.
 

 9. 

1st Year: A farmer spayed an insecticide on his crops, and it killed 100% of the aphids.
2nd Year: He used the same insecticide the next year, but it only killed 75% of the aphids.
3rd year: He used the same insecticide the 3rd year, but it only killed 50% of the aphids.
----In other words, the aphid population became resistant to this insecticide.
Aphid
Farmer
Aphid
mc009-1.jpg
mc009-2.jpg
mc009-3.jpg

How does this process occur?
a.
This process is called natural selection. It occurs when organisms randomly move from one territory to another. The insects simply moved around each year.
b.
A small percentage of bugs were not effected in the first year of spraying. These survivors then passed along their insecticide resistant genes to the next generation.
c.
The plants displayed a structural adaptation to the insecticide. Each year after being sprayed, the plants slowly changed their physical characteristics to repel the insects.
d.
The insects displayed a behavioral adaptation by flying away each year when the farmer was spraying. Then the next year they returned in larger numbers.
 

 10. 

The habitat of a moth species included trees with both light and dark colored bark.
Therefore the moth species included both light and dark colored variants.
mc010-1.jpg
Then the light-colored trees were wiped out by a disease, and within a few years nearly all the moths in this forest were dark colored 
Which of the following choices BEST explains what happened?
a.
The dark moths were less visible to predators, so mostly light moths were eaten.
b.
The few light moths that survived did not mate, and therefore they had no offspring.
c.
The light moths that survived all had dark offspring in order to adapt to the change.
d.
The light moths changed their wing pigments to darker colors to avoid being eaten.
 



 
         Start Over