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Name ___________________________ Per ____

Study Guide: Natural, Sexual and Artificial Selection

Notes #11.1: Natural Selection
1. What are the two requirements in order to be the same species?
a. ______________________________
b. ______________________________

2. What is a population? _________________________________________________________________

3. What is genetic variation? ______________________________________________________________

4. “Survival of the fittest” means that individuals best suited to _____________________________ can
______________ and ______________________ the most

5. What two things do adaptations help an organism to do?

a. ______________________________
b. ______________________________

6. There are the 3 factors needed for natural selection to happen. List them, then explain what each means:
a. Factor #1: ______________________________
i. Explain what it means here:

b. Factor #2: ______________________________

i. Explain what it means here:

c. Factor #3: ______________________________

i. Explain what it means here:

7. Which of these changes over time due to natural selection? Circle one: (populations/whole
species/individuals)

8. What does it mean to be “fit” in nature? ___________________________________________________

9. Can individuals change to fit their environment? ________ Explain why:_________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

10. What happens to helpful variations over many generations? ___________________________________

11. What happens to harmful variations over many generations? ___________________________________

12. The finches of the Galápagos Islands are very similar except for their beaks. Why?
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________

13. Why did dark peppered moths replace light ones during the industrial revolution?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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14. Why did light-colored peppered moths return during the late 20th century? ________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

Notes #11.2: Natural Selection in Populations

Draw a normal distribution: Draw how directional selection changes the normal
distribution:

Draw how stabilizing selection changes the normal Draw how disruptive selection changes the normal
distribution: distribution:

15. What is an EXAMPLE of directional selection?

16. What is an EXAMPLE of stabilizing selection?

17. What is an EXAMPLE of disruptive selection?

18. Does divergent evolution cause populations to become more similar or more different? _____________
19. Explain what causes divergent evolution to occur:

20. Does convergent evolution cause populations to become more similar or more different? ___________
21. Explain what causes convergent evolution to occur:

22. Does natural selection act on the phenotype or genotype? _____________________________________

23. What is phenotype? ___________________________________________________________________
24. What is genotype? ____________________________________________________________________
25. What is a gene pool? __________________________________________________________________
26. Why are lethal genes maintained in populations? (*hint: what type of individual passes on harmful genes
without being harmed?) ________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Notes #11.3: Sexual Selection

1. Sexual selection is driven by competition for _____________________________

2. Is it possible for sexual selection to result in traits that are…

a. More favorable to survival in the nature? ______
b. Give an example:

c. LESS favorable to survival in the nature? ______

d. Give an example:

3. What is the cause of intrasexual selection?

4. What is the result of intrasexual selection?

5. Give an example of intrasexual selection:

6. What is the cause of intersexual selection?

7. What is the result of intersexual selection?

8. Give an example of intersexual selection:

9. What is sexual dimorphism?

10. What is a species that displays sexual dimorphism? _____________ Explain your answer below:

11. Sexual selection is the result of a difference in the rate of ___________________ between males and
females
a. Which sex produces smaller, simpler gametes? _______________________________________
b. Which sex produces larger, more complex gametes? ___________________________________
c. In general, which sex invests a lot more energy, nutrients, time etc in reproduction? __________
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12. Circle the correct answer: “At any given time, the percentage of (males/females) which is ready to mate
is far smaller, meaning that (males/females) must compete for the few available mates”

13. Under what circumstances do roles reverse, with females competing for mates?

Notes #11.4: Artificial Selection

14. In artificial selection, who/what decides which traits are favored? _____________________________

15. Artificial selection is also known as ________________________________________

16. Does artificial selection generally occur quickly or gradually? _________________________

17. What does it mean when an organism is “domesticated”?

18. A wolf trained to tolerate humans is known as “tame”. Explain why tame wolves are NOT domesticated:

19. Different varieties of domesticated animals are known as ______________, whereas different varieties
of domesticated plants are called _________________

Notes #11.4: Examples of artificial selection

20. Cattle
a. What are they descended from? ________________
b. How were their wild ancestors different?

21. Dogs
a. What are they descended from? ________________
b. How were their wild ancestors different?

22. Corn
a. What is it descended from? ________________
b. How were its wild ancestors different?

23. Silver foxes

a. What are they descended from? ________________
b. Why did they need to domesticate them?

c. Which ones were chosen for breeding?

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24. Some benefits of artificial selection:

a. Civilization would be impossible without ____________________________________________

b. Do better plant varieties increase or decrease yields? ________________ Do they increase or

decrease poverty? ________________

c. Artificial selection has produced critically important domesticated animals such as…
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

25. Problems with artificial selection:

a. Loss of ____________________________________
b. Vulnerability to _________________________________
c. Why was a fungus able to destroy all the potatoes and cause the Irish Potato Famine?

d. Why do purebred dogs and cats have high rates of health problems?

e. Example: German shepherds

i. When was the first German shepherd bred? __________________
ii. How did they make pure lines of dogs for breeding? _______________
iii. What types of health problems do German shepherds have?
1.
2.
3.

Make sure to complete all parts of the next page as well!

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Comparison of natural, sexual and artificial selection

Natural selection Sexual selection Artificial selection
Driven by ___________________ Driven by ___________________ Driven by __________________
____________________________

Occurs over ____________ Occurs over ____________ Occurs over ____________

______________________ ______________________ ______________________

Organisms with the most Organisms with _____________ Organisms with traits that
___________________ traits _________________ traits survive ___________ __________ survive
survive and reproduce more and reproduce more and reproduce more

Produces organisms better adapted Sometimes produces organisms Sometimes produces organisms
to _________ well- adapted to their _________ well- adapted to their
__________________________ __________________________ __________________________
____________________________