Natural Selection Webquest Answers

Natural Selection Webquest Name_________________________
Date __________________ Period _______
Go to each of these websites. Once there, read the material to discover information about Natural Selection.
To make the webquest easier, you can also visit MrTranScience.Weebly.com/documents.html for links!
Site 1: http://www.biology-online.org/2/10_natural_selection.htm
1. Who was Charles Darwin? What is he known for?
Charles Darwin was a biologist from England who is best known for traveling to the Gallapagos Islands
on the HMS Beagle and proposing the theory of evolution by natural selection.
2. What does the phrase "survival of the fittest" mean?
The organism that is “fittest” is best able to 1) survive and 2) reproduce (pass on its genes that were
successful for survival)
Site 2: http://www.biology-online.org/2/11_natural_selection.htm
3. Which part of the finch has changed over time?

Their beaks
4. For each of these diagrams, write what type of food the beak shape is best suited for.
a. __seeds_______ b. __insects______ c. __buds/fruit_____ d. __leaves_________
5. Explain how industrial melanism has affected moths.
Darker moths survive better in polluted environments and lighter moths survive better in cleaner
environments because they blend in better with each unique “background”.
Site 3: http://www.experiment-resources.com/darwins-finches.html
Read the first two sections "Darwin's Finches" and "The Galapagos Islands"
8. Did Darwin first believe that each finch he found was a different species? Was he right or wrong?
At first, Darwin thought that each finch he found was a different species, however, he was wrong.
They were actually all the same species of finch that had evolved over time to be very unique!
9. How did organisms arrive at the Galapagos Islands?
They were blown off course from South America
Site 4: http://www.biology-online.org/2/12_selective_breeding.htm
6. Why is selective breeding useful to farmers?
It allows farmers to create plants with traits that they desire (bigger yields, tastier food, larger
fruit/vegetables)
7. What does it mean to selectively breed an organism?
Choose only individuals with the features that you want to reproduce and do not allow the others to
reproduce and pass on genes that are not desirable.
Site 5: http://kids.britannica.com/elementary/article-353467/mimicry
10. What is mimicry? How does mimicry benefit an organism?
Looking like another organism which can help to get food or evade predators.
Site 6: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/08/mimicry/mimicry-interactive
Look at the images in the slideshow. Click on the organisms that are hiding in plain sight.
11. Give three examples of mimicry.
Leaf Litter Toad looks like leaves, flag footed bug diverts attention of predators to limbs rather than its
body, katydid looks like a lichen (grows on trees), walking leaf bug looks like a leaf, broad headed nymph
looks like the more dangerous sap-eating ants, caterpillar has a false head at the tail to divert attention of
predators to tail rather than biting its head, nematode parasite turns ant red with eggs to attract
predators to help spread them, great potoo bird looks like tree trunk, deinopis spider looks like dried
palm leaf, leaf-litter mantid looks like decomposing leaf
(any three from above)
Site 7: http://faculty.clintoncc.suny.edu/faculty/Michael.Gregory/files/bio%20101/Bio%20101%20Lectures/
Natural%20Selection/natural.htm
Read the first 3 sections (stop when you get to variation).
12. Does natural selection act on individuals or does it act on something else? Explain this.
Natural selection acts on whole populations of organisms, not just individual organisms. Changes to
individual organisms within one lifespan (one generation) are known as growing and developing
13. What are the 4 reasons that natural selection occurs?
1. ___some individuals within a population vary (they are not all identical)____________________
2. ___some variations are better than others and thus have more reproductive success_____________
3. ___the traits that vary are heritable (inherited traits that can passed on to offspring through DNA)
4. ___better variations with have more success reproducing and will have more offspring _________
Site 8: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/5/l_015_02.html
14. Why are there so many breeds of dogs?
Years of selective breeding have led to the artificial “evolution” of dogs into many different types/breeds
15. All dogs are of a single species, regardless of what they look like. They are all descended from what
animal? Give the scientific and common names.
Scientific __Canis lupus_________________ Common ____Grey wolf______________________
Site 9: “Survival of the Sneakiest” http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/sneakermales_01

Read the comic and answer the two questions below.
1. At first, what variation of the cricket was able to attract a mate better? How did you know?
The noisy cricket they chirped attracted the mate while the silent cricket did not
2. Given all situations, what variation of cricket (chirping or sneaky) is best fit for survival in this particular
environment?
The sneaky cricket ended up being best fit for survival because it was able to steal the mate when the bat
discovered and ate the chirping cricket that was easier to find.
Site 10: (optional) Natural Selection Game http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-

darwin-game/

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Natural Selection Webquest Answers

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Natural Selection Webquest Name_________________________

Date ____________ Period _

1. Who was Charles Darwin? What is he known for?

2. What does the phrase "survival of the fittest" mean?

3. Which part of the finch has changed over time?

a. seeds_ b. insects c. buds/fruit_ d. leaves_________

5. Explain how industrial melanism has affected moths.

13. What are the 4 reasons that natural selection occurs?

Site 9: “Survival of the Sneakiest” http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/0_0_0/sneakermales_01

Site 10: (optional) Natural Selection Game http://www.sciencechannel.com/games-and-interactives/charles-

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