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Worksheet-Natural Selection

Natural selection causes organisms to change over time as they adapt to their environment. Faster cheetahs are more successful at catching antelopes, so cheetahs have become faster through natural selection as slower cheetahs died out. Similarly, antelopes have become faster through natural selection as slower antelopes were unable to avoid predators and pass on their genes. Genetic variations between individuals lead to differences in survival and reproduction, driving the evolution of species through natural selection.

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414 views3 pages

Worksheet-Natural Selection

Natural selection causes organisms to change over time as they adapt to their environment. Faster cheetahs are more successful at catching antelopes, so cheetahs have become faster through natural selection as slower cheetahs died out. Similarly, antelopes have become faster through natural selection as slower antelopes were unable to avoid predators and pass on their genes. Genetic variations between individuals lead to differences in survival and reproduction, driving the evolution of species through natural selection.

Uploaded by

Manal H
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: …………………………….. Grade 8/……………..

Biology
Graded worksheet

Read the following about the natural selection to help you answer the
following questions:

Natural selection is a pressure that causes groups of organisms to change over


time. Animals inherit their genetics from their parents or ancestors, and the
environment is constantly changing. So, no organism is perfectly adapted to its
environment. Thus, natural selection is constantly influencing the evolution
of species.
The fastest land predator is the cheetah. Cheetahs did not get extremely fast for no
reason. The cheetah’s main prey item, the antelope, is fast as well. Which one got
fast first will forever remain a mystery, but the fact is, these two species drive each
other to be faster.

Faster cheetahs experience an advantage over other cheetahs in that they


catch more antelope and can support a much larger family. Eventually,
slow cheetahs will die off, and the fast cheetah population will explode
catching antelope. The antelope population, responding to the new
selection, are also more successful when they are fast enough to avoid the
cheetahs. Thus the antelope population is also being directionally selected
for faster animals.
Even if a parent were perfectly adapted to the environment, the environment will
change, leaving the offspring maladapted to the environment. Because there are
many animals and few resources, only the best and most fit organisms can
reproduce. Natural selection works against all organisms, and it can be thought of
as the environment and forces acting to stop organisms from surviving and
reproducing. Therefore, organisms which are able to survive can also pass on their
DNA to the next generation. This “selects” for those DNA sequences.

Luckily for all organisms, genetic variability causes each individual to be slightly
different. These slight differences in performance can lead to differences in the
amount each individual reproduces. By reproducing more, an individual creates more
of the genetic variations that helped it succeed. The offspring of these individuals will
also benefit from the genetic variations that allowed their parents to succeed. Organisms
without these genetic adaptations will not reproduce as much, and in this way, their lines
will someday cease to exist. Nature constantly exerts a selective force on the different
genetic combinations that try to reproduce, and in this way, natural selection is the major
driving force of evolution.

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Q1: Cheetahs chase antelopes, catch them and eat them. Antelopes run away from
cheetahs.

a. Slow antelopes don’t pass on


their genes to the next generation.
Explain why this is.

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b. After lots of generations, the population of antelopes is faster than it was to


begin with. Explain why this is.
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c. After lots of generations, the population of cheetahs is faster than it was to begin
with. Explain why this is
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d. Other than speed, suggest one characteristic cheetah might have which makes them
good at competing for food

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Q2: A young mouse loses its tail in an accident. This makes it better at hiding from
predators than mice with tails. Over time, will this cause more mice to have no tails?
Explain your answer.

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Q2: Choose the correct answer:

1. The development of organisms overtime is called ……….


a. Evolution
b. Inheritance
c. Survival of fittest
d. Variation

2. The process by which the individuals that are best adapted to their surrounding
survive and reproduce, so passing on their genes, is called…….

a. Evolution
b. Inheritance
c. Survival of fittest
d. Variation

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