Structural Adaptations

Question 1

When scientists use the word “adaptation,” they are talking about:

Accepted Answer

a characteristic or action that helps an animal stay alive and thrive in its home environment

Answer

a trait that simply makes the animal look interesting or beautiful, whether it helps or not

Answer

something an animal learns on its own during its life that might help it survive

Answer

any feature an animal has, even if it does not affect its chances of survival

Question 2

Liam says that a polar bear’s white fur is an adaptation because it helps the bear blend in with the snow, while Zoe says that a polar bear’s white fur is an adaptation because the bear can decide to grow it when it gets cold. Which statement correctly describes what scientists mean by an adaptation?

Accepted Answer

A feature that improves an animal’s chance of surviving in its environment.

Answer

A trait an animal can grow during its life to help it survive.

Answer

Any characteristic that makes an animal look different from other animals.

Answer

A behavior that only helps the animal find food.

Question 3

On an island, a species of finch eats seeds that have recently become very hard. Finches with longer, stronger beaks can break the seeds and eat enough to survive, while those with short beaks cannot eat enough and die before reproducing. After many generations, most finches now have long beaks. Which statement best explains why the long‑beaked finches became common?

Accepted Answer

Finches with longer beaks were more likely to survive and reproduce, so their offspring inherited the longer‑beak trait, increasing its frequency over generations.

Answer

The surviving finches learned to use their beaks more efficiently, causing their beaks to grow longer during their own lifetimes.

Answer

A random mutation made every finch’s beak suddenly longer at the same time.

Answer

The environment changed the seeds to become softer, matching the finches’ original short beaks.

Try three questions

When scientists use the word “adaptation,” they are talking about:

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