Download Survival of Marine Organisms (Adapted from HSA public release

Survival of Marine Organisms (Adapted from HSA public release items)
Loggerhead Turtles
Loggerhead turtles in the Atlantic Ocean return to lay their eggs on the same beaches where they hatched. Scientists
have observed that the turtles have a “compass sense.” This sense allows them to use Earth's magnetic field to find their
way back to the beaches where they were hatched.
Which of these terms best describes the turtle's ability to use Earth's magnetic field?
A.
B.
C.
D.
diversity
habitat
succession
adaptation
Slider Turtles
Researchers are studying slider turtles. Slider turtles hatch on the beach. The researchers discovered that larger baby
turtles were more likely to survive than smaller baby turtles. They hypothesized that the larger turtles could move more
quickly toward the water than the smaller turtles, reducing their exposure to predators.
The survival advantage for the larger baby turtles is a result of
A.
B.
C.
D.
natural selection
gene splicing
mutualism
commensalism
Male Fiddler Crab
Use the information and the figure below to answer the following question.
Male fiddler crabs attract females by quickly waving their large front claw. If a claw is lost in a fight or
accident, they quickly grow a hollow claw of equal length. Because the new claw is lighter, they can wave it
faster. A male fiddler crab is shown below.
A.
B.
C.
D.
1. The male fiddler crab’s new claw can be described as
a clone
a genotype
an adaptation
a dominant trait
A.
B.
C.
D.
2. The new claw probably helps the male fiddler crab to
successfully reproduce
maintain homeostasis
fight more successfully
evolve into a new species
Mangrove Trees
Use the information below to answer the following
item.
Plants grow in various environments. Some plants,
like mangroves, grow in salty wetlands. Mangroves
have specialized structures that prevent salt from
entering their cells. Other mangroves have
specialized glands that can excrete excess salt.
Glands that excrete salt in the mangroves are
examples of
A.
B.
C.
D.
meiosis
osmosis
adaptations
successions
Evolution of Marine Organisms (Adapted from HSA public release items)
Evolution of Amphibians
Amphibians were the first vertebrates to live on land. The ancestors of amphibians were probably lobe-finned
fish. The diagram below shows this development of amphibians over time.
Which of these terms best describes how amphibians could have developed from lobe-finned fish?
A.
B.
C.
D.
selective breeding
cloning
migration
natural selection
Evolution of Iguanas
Short Essay
Marine and land iguanas are two different species that inhabit the Galapagos Islands. Some scientists believe
that both species diverged from a common ancestor. Marine iguanas eat algae. Land iguanas feed on cacti.
Algae are more abundant in the ocean than cacti are on the islands. Both species lay their eggs in the sand.
Rats, cats, and goats have recently been introduced to the islands. Rats often feed on iguana eggs, cats eat baby
iguanas, and goats eat cacti.
Explain how the two species of iguanas could have developed from a common ancestor. In your response, be
sure to



name the process that explains how marine and land iguanas developed from a common ancestor
describe the steps involved in this process
explain how the introduction of rats, cats, and goats might affect both iguana species