Evolution
Evolution and Natural Selection
Similarities and differences in inherited characteristics of organisms alive today or in the past can be used to…
Item EN052002: A scientist studying the fossils of an extinct species of fish could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.
A scientist finds some fossils of an extinct species of fish. Which of the following could he do by studying the fossils?
- He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.
- He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, but he could not discover any similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.
- He could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, but he could not discover what anatomical features the extinct species had.
- He could neither discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, nor could he discover what anatomical features the extinct species had.
Pre-Test
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 572 |
6–8 n = 18 |
9–12 n = 502 |
Male n = 245 |
Female n = 283 |
English n = 511 |
Other n = 18 |
||
| A. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 53% | 61% | 54% | 53% | 54% | 54% | 56% |
| B. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, but he could not discover any similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 15% | 11% | 15% | 15% | 13% | 14% | 17% |
| C. | He could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, but he could not discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 27% | 22% | 25% | 27% | 27% | 26% | 22% |
| D. | He could neither discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, nor could he discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 5% | 6% | 6% | 5% | 5% | 6% | 6% |
Post-Test (Control)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 274 |
6–8 n = 14 |
9–12 n = 230 |
Male n = 119 |
Female n = 130 |
English n = 237 |
Other n = 9 |
||
| A. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 59% | 43% | 61% | 51% | 66% | 61% | 33% |
| B. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, but he could not discover any similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 14% | 29% | 13% | 18% | 10% | 13% | 44% |
| C. | He could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, but he could not discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 23% | 29% | 22% | 26% | 21% | 23% | 11% |
| D. | He could neither discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, nor could he discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 4% | 0% | 4% | 5% | 3% | 3% | 11% |
Post-Test (Treatment)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 278 |
6–8 n = 4 |
9–12 n = 248 |
Male n = 130 |
Female n = 131 |
English n = 251 |
Other n = 5 |
||
| A. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 69% | 75% | 68% | 65% | 74% | 69% | 40% |
| B. | He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, but he could not discover any similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish. | 8% | 0% | 8% | 8% | 6% | 8% | 20% |
| C. | He could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, but he could not discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 21% | 25% | 21% | 22% | 18% | 20% | 40% |
| D. | He could neither discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, nor could he discover what anatomical features the extinct species had. | 3% | 0% | 3% | 4% | 2% | 3% | 0% |