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Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of how the different forms of reproduction affect the observed diversity in traits in a population.
- Apply knowledge of the role of DNA, RNA, genes, and chromosomal behavior (e.g., independent assortment, segregation, crossing over) on patterns in the inheritance of traits (e.g., codominance, sex linkage, multiple alleles, polygenic).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the Mendelian principles of genetics (e.g., unit factors, dominance, independent assortment).
- Apply knowledge of genetics to explain connections between genotype and phenotype, including models (e.g., Punnett squares, pedigree charts).
- Apply principles of probability to analyze possible genotype and phenotype combinations in offspring (e.g., complete dominance, codominance, incomplete dominance, sex linked, polygenic).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the sources and types of mutations and of genetic disorders and their causes (e.g., Down syndrome, sickle cell anemia).
- Apply knowledge of factors that affect gene expression (e.g., diet, chemical exposure, age) and gene regulation, including explanations of population-level diversity in traits.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the basic methods, processes, and tools used in molecular biology research (e.g., electrophoresis, polymerase chain reaction, plasmids); their applications (e.g., genetic engineering, forensic science); and the societal and ethical implications of their use.
- Apply knowledge of evidence of common ancestry and diversity among living things (e.g., anatomical, embryonic, amino acid sequences), including the use of models (e.g., taxonomic systems, binomial nomenclature, phylogenetic trees, cladograms).
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to inheritance.
Sample Item:
Which of the following advantages is associated with insect species that undergo incomplete metamorphosis as part of their reproductive life cycle?
- parental protection of the offspring
- mobility in all stages of the life cycle
- ability to occupy a wide range of habitats
- reduced competition between larvae and adults
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Incomplete metamorphosis in insects is a type of reproductive life cycle that is comprised of three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. After hatching from the egg, the immature insect looks like a miniature version of the adult and goes through several nymphal stages, sometimes retaining portions of its protective exoskeleton as it molts in order to grow larger. Upon hatching from the egg, the nymph is fully mobile and is able to seek out and utilize the same resources and avoid predators in much the same way as the adult insect.
Descriptive Statements:
- Demonstrate knowledge of the theory of natural selection (e.g., overproduction, competition, variation, survival of the fittest).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the types of evidence for natural selection (e.g., fossil record, comparative anatomy, biochemistry, molecular biology).
- Apply knowledge of the cause and effect relationship between natural selection and adaptation and of factors necessary for adaptation to occur (e.g., genetic variation, phenotypic variation, survival of the fittest).
- Demonstrate knowledge of the processes of speciation that maintain reproductive isolation and factors that affect the reproductive success of populations, including rates of speciation.
- Apply knowledge of the ways in which natural selection can influence the phenotypes in a population to affect the distribution of heritable traits (e.g., disruptive selection, stabilizing selection, directional selection) and the rate of these changes.
- Apply knowledge of the effects of gene flow and genetic drift on species diversity (e.g., population bottlenecks, founder effect), including the rate and extent of genetic change.
- Demonstrate knowledge of the conditions associated with Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium and solve probability problems related to the frequency of genotypes and phenotypes in specific populations.
- Demonstrate knowledge of basic taxonomy, criteria used to classify organisms, and biological systematics (e.g., binomial nomenclature, phylogenetic trees, cladograms).
- Demonstrate knowledge of scientific practices (e.g., asking questions, analyzing and interpreting data, using mathematics and computational thinking), safety procedures and the proper use of equipment, and the engineering design process (e.g., iterative design, solving problems) related to natural selection, adaptation, and the diversity of life.
Sample Item:
Use the information below to answer the question that follows.
Researchers were studying a population of finches with small, medium, and long beaks when a drought occurred. One year after this loss of water, the researchers found that many small-beaked birds did not survive the drought. Measurement of the beaks of the young finches in the new population showed that their beak size was generally longer than was typical for their grandparents.
The best conclusion that the researchers can make given these data is that the longer beak size of the young finches in the new population:
- is likely the result of a genetic mutation that spread throughout the population.
- demonstrates that birds with longer beaks have a competitive advantage and are more likely to survive.
- means little because this study should run for several more generations before results will be significant.
- is an interesting finding, but the study should include additional populations of finches in order to have a meaningful sample size.
Correct Response and Explanation (Show Correct ResponseHide Correct Response)
B. Since the population of the newer offspring primarily consisted of birds with longer beaks, it is most likely that this trait was inherited from their parents. The parent birds with longer beaks had a competitive advantage over the birds with shorter beaks: birds with shorter beaks could not access water or food resources as readily, decreasing the chance of survival and likelihood of reproduction. This resulted in an increase in the population of birds with longer beaks because they were better adapted and more likely to survive the extreme changes that occurred in this environment.
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