Evolution
Evolution and Natural Selection
Similarities and differences in inherited characteristics of organisms alive today or in the past can be used to…
Item CA016003: Organisms that have more traits in common share a more recent common ancestor than organisms with fewer traits in common.
The table below shows the presence or absence of traits in seven different species.
|
Character |
Frog |
Bird |
Crocodiles |
Whale |
Pig |
Gorilla |
|
Blowhole |
|
|
|
Yes |
|
|
|
Body hair |
|
|
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Amniotic egg |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Forelimbs |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Backbone |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
|
Holes in Skull |
|
Yes |
Yes |
|
|
|
Based only on the traits presented in the table, are birds, frogs, or crocodiles, most closely related to pigs?
- Birds
- Frogs
- Crocodiles
- Not enough information
Pre-Test
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 580 |
6–8 n = 25 |
9–12 n = 514 |
Male n = 254 |
Female n = 286 |
English n = 526 |
Other n = 13 |
||
| A. | Birds | 7% | 4% | 7% | 7% | 6% | 6% | 8% |
| B. | Frogs | 7% | 12% | 7% | 11% | 4% | 7% | 15% |
| C. | Crocodiles | 15% | 12% | 15% | 18% | 12% | 14% | 15% |
| D. | Not enough information | 71% | 72% | 71% | 63% | 78% | 72% | 62% |
Post-Test (Control)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 255 |
6–8 n = 15 |
9–12 n = 195 |
Male n = 97 |
Female n = 119 |
English n = 205 |
Other n = 6 |
||
| A. | Birds | 5% | 13% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 0% |
| B. | Frogs | 4% | 7% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 0% |
| C. | Crocodiles | 17% | 13% | 15% | 16% | 14% | 15% | 33% |
| D. | Not enough information | 73% | 67% | 75% | 74% | 76% | 75% | 67% |
Post-Test (Treatment)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 301 |
6–8 n = 8 |
9–12 n = 274 |
Male n = 134 |
Female n = 150 |
English n = 274 |
Other n = 9 |
||
| A. | Birds | 4% | 0% | 4% | 3% | 5% | 4% | 11% |
| B. | Frogs | 2% | 0% | 2% | 4% | 1% | 2% | 0% |
| C. | Crocodiles | 13% | 25% | 14% | 13% | 15% | 14% | 0% |
| D. | Not enough information | 80% | 75% | 81% | 81% | 80% | 80% | 89% |