3rd Grade Science : Explain how trait variations give reproduction advantages
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Example Questions
Example Question #1 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Pollinators prefer plants that have strong smells and brightly colored flower petals when they are selecting a place to collect nectar. Which plant is LEAST likely to attract a pollinator?
The plant that is least likely to attract a pollinator would be the shrub. It is only green, has no flowers, and has no nectar to attract a pollinator. When a bee, bat, butterfly, etc. lands on the flower and moves to collect the nectar, pollen is transferred onto the animal's body, and then cross-pollination happens when it lands on another flower. The other photos show very brightly colored flowers that would catch the eye of a passing pollinator.
Example Question #2 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Trait variations give reproductive advantages to some plants and animals.
False
True
True
The statement is true. When traits change or carry, there are benefits or advantages to the process. If a feature is a strength and helps animals to survive, they will be more likely selected as a mate, live longer, and produce healthier offspring. These offspring will carry the adapted characteristics with them and pass them on to their offspring, which in turn makes the family group and species stronger.
Example Question #3 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
A population of dark-colored moths moves into an area with light-colored moths. The area has lots of birch trees. The dark-moths stand out against the white and grey trees. More dark moths are eaten by predators than light moths. Only moths that live to reproduction age will produce offspring.
Which moth or moths has the advantage because of their traits to get the change of reproducing?
Dark-colored moth; This moth has a better chance of reproducing because more of them will survive to the age of mating.
Light-colored moth; This moth has a better chance of reproducing because more of them will survive to the age of mating.
Both moths; The light and dark moths will both have an equal chance of reproducing, and neither has an advantage over the other.
Neither; The light-colored and dark-colored moths have no advantage of getting to reproduce, and neither will reach the age of mating.
Light-colored moth; This moth has a better chance of reproducing because more of them will survive to the age of mating.
In this scenario, the lighter-colored moth has a better chance at survival because it blends in with the beige and white birch trees. The more moths that survive, the more can reach adulthood and create offspring. The dark-colored moths are more likely to stand out against the white and beige trees, so there are less that will survive to reproduce.
Example Question #4 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
In the cold tundras, ice and snow cover the ground for most of the year. Animals have to have strong traits to survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce. Female animals only want the strongest males with the best characteristics to pass on to their offspring.
Which animal would be more likely to live long enough to reproduce in this type of environment?
The animal that would be most likely to live long enough in the cold tundra would be an arctic fox. This animal has thick fur, a layer of fat, white fur to blend with the snow, and even changes its fur color to brown in the summer months when there is no snow. This animal is suited to this environment. The snake, moth, and parrot all are perfect for their environments but would not live to reproduce in the tundra and would not have the right traits to pass on for offspring to survive either.
Example Question #1 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Pollinators prefer plants that have strong smells and brightly colored flower petals when they are selecting a place to collect nectar like the one pictured below. How does this variation in appearance give them an advantage in reproducing?
There is no advantage in reproduction because of flower color or smell.
Attracting more pollinators gives the plant a lesser chance of spreading pollen.
Attracting more pollinators gives the plant a higher chance of spreading pollen.
Attracting fewer pollinators gives the plant a higher chance of spreading pollen.
Attracting more pollinators gives the plant a higher chance of spreading pollen.
When a bee, bat, butterfly, etc. lands on the flower and moves to collect the nectar, pollen is transferred onto the animal's body, and then cross-pollination happens when it lands on another flower. The photo shows very brightly colored flowers that would catch the eye of a passing pollinator. Flowers that are brightly colored and have strong odors are more likely to attract pollinators, which give them an advantage in reproduction. If more pollinators are landing on their petals and spreading their pollen, they have a better chance of creating new plants.
Example Question #2 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Trait variations give reproductive advantages to animals but not plants. Plants do not reproduce.
True
False
False
The statement in the question is false. When traits change or carry, there are benefits or advantages to the process. If a feature is a strength and helps animals to survive, they will be more likely selected as a mate, live longer, and produce healthier offspring. These offspring will carry the adapted characteristics with them and pass them on to their offspring, which in turn makes the family group and species stronger. Plants reproduce by spreading pollen from plant to plant (carried by pollinators), and seeds are formed. These seeds grow into new plants, and the most reliable genes survive and carry on the species.
Example Question #5 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Why would a camouflaged animal be more likely to reproduce?
A camouflaged animal would not be more likely to reproduce.
An animal with camouflage is attractive, so it will get more mates.
The animal is harder to find so it would have less opportunity to find a mate.
It blends in better, so it is more likely to survive to have offspring.
It blends in better, so it is more likely to survive to have offspring.
A camouflaged animal is more likely to reproduce because it will have a longer lifespan than something easily spotted by predators. If the animal has a longer lifespan, it has more opportunity to find a mate and have offspring. The offspring will inherit these genetics and be more likely to pass them on later in life as well. This type of trait variation and reproductive advantage keeps species alive and well.
Example Question #5 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Some animals have variations in their behaviors and physical traits that give them reproduction advantages. Male peacocks will spread their tail feathers and shake them while courting potential mates. Female peacocks will choose the males with the most ornate and beautiful tail feathers. How do traits like peacock tail feathers give their offspring an advantage?
The males with the best tails will be able to teach their offspring how to groom their tails to attract mates.
There is no advantage for the offspring of animals with these variations in traits.
The offspring of the selected males will know their father was the best, so they will be more confident.
Females will choose the males with the best feathers so that those genes will be passed to their offspring.
Females will choose the males with the best feathers so that those genes will be passed to their offspring.
The male peacocks that are selected for reproduction by female peacocks will most likely have the best genes. Female peacocks are looking for the flashiest tails and strongest peacocks when they look for a mate. The offspring will inherit these genetics and be more likely to pass them on later in life as well. This type of trait variation and reproductive advantage keeps species alive and well.
Example Question #3 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
In the cold tundras, ice and snow cover the ground for most of the year. Animals have to have strong traits to survive long enough to find a mate and reproduce. Female animals only want the strongest males with the best characteristics to pass on to their offspring.
Which animal would be LESS likely to live long enough to reproduce in this type of environment?
All of the answer choices are correct
All of the answer choices are correct
All of the animals would be most likely to live long enough in the cold tundra to reproduce. Polar bears have thick fur, a layer of fat, white fur to blend with the snow. The arctic fox even changes its fur color to brown in the summer months when there is no snow. A penguin can swim in the icy waters and has thick layers of fat to stay warm. These animals are suited to this environment and would be most likely to reproduce.
Example Question #2 : Explain How Trait Variations Give Reproduction Advantages
Why would a cactus be more likely to reproduce in the desert than other species of plant?
Cacti are adapted to the dry desert conditions, so they are more likely to survive and reproduce.
Cacti have broad leaves that collect more sunlight than other plants so they can produce more food for reproduction.
Cacti are not more likely to reproduce in the desert than other species of plants.
Cacti are tall, so they are closer to the sun for the process of photosynthesis.
Cacti are adapted to the dry desert conditions, so they are more likely to survive and reproduce.
A cactus is more likely to reproduce in the desert than other plant species because they have variations in their traits that make them an ideal plant species for the conditions that they live in. Thick stems help cacti store water, widespread root systems allow the plants to absorb water from the dry soil, and thorns help to deter the predators who might try to steal the water from the plant. These variations allow the cactus to survive and reproduce.
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