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Item EN022004: If the type of seed available to a population of birds changes, the individual birds with the beak best equipped for eating the new type of seed are more likely to survive and reproduce than the others.

According to the theory of natural selection, what is likely to happen to a population of birds after the seeds they normally eat are no longer available and all that is left are seeds that are harder to crack open?

  1. The individual birds that already have the kind of beak that allows them to eat the seeds that are harder to crack open would be more likely to survive and reproduce.
  2. All of the individual birds would develop new beaks as they continued to attempt to eat the seeds that are harder to crack open.  All of the birds would survive and reproduce.
  3. Some of the individual birds would try to develop new beaks so that they could eat the seeds that are harder to crack open.  Those birds would be more likely to survive and reproduce, and the other birds would likely die.
  4. Because the population of birds is all of the same species, they all have the same physical traits.  No individual bird would have an advantage in cracking open the seeds, and all of the birds would die. 
Distribution of Responses
Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 022004
Points Earned
Group Correct Total Percent
Overall N/A N/A N/A
Grades
  6–8 N/A N/A N/A
  9–12 N/A N/A N/A
Gender
  MaleN/AN/AN/A
  FemaleN/AN/AN/A
Primary Language
  EnglishN/AN/AN/A
  OtherN/AN/AN/A

View data table

Distribution of Responses
Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 022004
Points Earned
Group Correct Total Percent
Overall 158 294 54%
Grades
  6–8 15 23 65%
  9–12 131 247 53%
Gender
  Male5810953%
  Female9317154%
Primary Language
  English14226454%
  Other5956%

View data table

Distribution of Responses
Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item 022004
Points Earned
Group Correct Total Percent
Overall 194 281 69%
Grades
  6–8 2 3 67%
  9–12 178 257 69%
Gender
  Male8713266%
  Female10014071%
Primary Language
  English17625469%
  Other81173%

View data table