Item EM036003: In natural selection, some individuals of the same species have heritable traits that increase in frequency over many generations because they contribute more offspring to the next generation having that trait.
Which of the following describes the process of evolution by natural selection?
- Individuals change to better fit the environment, and these changes become more frequent in the population.
- The environment changes, and all members of a species either evolve into a new species or the species goes extinct (dies out).
- Individuals of the same species have different versions of heritable traits, and a particular version increases in frequency over many generations if individuals with that version contribute more offspring to the next generation.
- Individuals of two species compete for resources like food, water, and space, and one species wins and lives on, and the other species loses and goes extinct (dies out).
Pre-Test
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 558 |
6–8 n = 25 |
9–12 n = 498 |
Male n = 243 |
Female n = 274 |
English n = 502 |
Other n = 19 |
||
| A. | Individuals change to better fit the environment, and these changes become more frequent in the population. | 22% | 12% | 23% | 26% | 20% | 23% | 11% |
| B. | The environment changes, and all members of a species either evolve into a new species or the species goes extinct (dies out). | 27% | 28% | 27% | 25% | 28% | 27% | 37% |
| C. | Individuals of the same species have different versions of heritable traits, and a particular version increases in frequency over many generations if individuals with that version contribute more offspring to the next generation. | 34% | 48% | 34% | 37% | 33% | 34% | 37% |
| D. | Individuals of two species compete for resources like food, water, and space, and one species wins and lives on, and the other species loses and goes extinct (dies out). | 16% | 12% | 16% | 12% | 19% | 16% | 16% |
Post-Test (Control)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 294 |
6–8 n = 23 |
9–12 n = 247 |
Male n = 109 |
Female n = 171 |
English n = 264 |
Other n = 9 |
||
| A. | Individuals change to better fit the environment, and these changes become more frequent in the population. | 24% | 13% | 26% | 26% | 24% | 25% | 22% |
| B. | The environment changes, and all members of a species either evolve into a new species or the species goes extinct (dies out). | 20% | 22% | 17% | 10% | 24% | 18% | 22% |
| C. | Individuals of the same species have different versions of heritable traits, and a particular version increases in frequency over many generations if individuals with that version contribute more offspring to the next generation. | 44% | 48% | 45% | 53% | 39% | 45% | 56% |
| D. | Individuals of two species compete for resources like food, water, and space, and one species wins and lives on, and the other species loses and goes extinct (dies out). | 12% | 17% | 11% | 11% | 13% | 12% | 0% |
Post-Test (Treatment)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 281 |
6–8 n = 3 |
9–12 n = 257 |
Male n = 132 |
Female n = 140 |
English n = 254 |
Other n = 11 |
||
| A. | Individuals change to better fit the environment, and these changes become more frequent in the population. | 23% | 67% | 24% | 25% | 22% | 25% | 18% |
| B. | The environment changes, and all members of a species either evolve into a new species or the species goes extinct (dies out). | 12% | 0% | 12% | 14% | 10% | 12% | 18% |
| C. | Individuals of the same species have different versions of heritable traits, and a particular version increases in frequency over many generations if individuals with that version contribute more offspring to the next generation. | 58% | 33% | 56% | 54% | 61% | 57% | 36% |
| D. | Individuals of two species compete for resources like food, water, and space, and one species wins and lives on, and the other species loses and goes extinct (dies out). | 7% | 0% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 27% |