Characteristics Among Species - 3rd Grade Science

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.

The term advantage means that someone or something has a quality or is in a circumstance that puts it into a superior position. The peacocks in the example that have the most elaborate tail feathers would be more likely to attract a mate because they have an advantage or a superior quality when compared to the other birds. The animals and plants which have variations in their traits that lead to these benefits are going to pass them on to their offspring and create strength in their species or family group.

Trait variations are changes and adaptations to the characteristics for survival and mating. Male frogs need to attract mates, and they use their vocal calls to get their attention. The variation that would attract the most mates would be to have the loudest cry. This would allow more female frogs to hear the calls and react. Frogs with soft, weak calls would not receive as much attention, and those frogs would receive fewer opportunities to meet a mate.

The statement is true and accurate. Some animals and plants have trait variations that lead them to have advantages with attracting mates. If an animal has brighter feathers or a flower has more colorful petals, they are more likely to be selected for pollination or mating. These advantages put them in a better position than other organisms.

Female ducks usually choose the larger and more colorful male to be her mate because they are perceived to be the best choices. If they are large, it probably means they are good at finding food and can protect her and the ducklings. Ducks have a great sense of color so they can see which male has the most beautiful and healthy feathers. The female ducks want the best chance at their baby surviving, so they look for the most reliable genes to pass on. The biggest and most colorful ducks probably have these genes.

Trait variations are changes and adaptations to the characteristics for survival and mating. Male frogs need to attract mates, and they use their vocal calls to get their attention. The variation that would attract the most mates would be to have the loudest cry. This would allow more female frogs to hear the calls and react. A distant call would make the frog stand out against the other males. A muffled cry would NOT help him attract a mate. A muffled call would be hard to hear and not allow the frog to stand out.

Female ducks usually choose the larger and more colorful male to be her mate because they are perceived to be the best choices. If they are large, it probably means they are good at finding food and can protect her and the ducklings. Ducks have a great sense of color so they can see which male has the most beautiful and healthy feathers. The female ducks want the best chance at their baby surviving, so they look for the most reliable genes to pass on. The biggest and most colorful ducks probably have these genes. The duck that the female would be least likely to pick has gray and brown muted feathers and is not ornate or brightly colored in any way. He is least likely to stand out to her.

All of the answer choices are characteristics of the animal that would make it stand out as an exceptional mate. Each of the listed examples provides a trait that has become adapted in the gene pool that makes it an excellent choice for a mate. A large eagle is more likely to survive fights and find food making it ideal. A giraffe tat is skilled at locating leaves will help keep a family alive. A female chicken is charged with caring for young, so if she is a good mother, a male chicken may be more likely to select her as a mate. All of these are trait variations that give the animal an advantage.

The statement is false and inaccurate. Plants do have trait variations that lead them to have advantages with attracting "mates." If a flower has more colorful petals, they are more likely to be selected for pollination. These advantages put them in a better position than other organisms. Plants don't attract mates in a traditional sense, but they still must attract pollinators to reproduce and create new plants.

A trait is a quality, feature, or characteristic that stands out or makes something/someone distinguishable. In the example, the duck has brightly colored feathers. This allows him to stand out, and female ducks will be more likely to notice him. Traits can be physical, like the example or behavioral. They are passed down by parents to offspring.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.