AAAS Science Assessment ~ Topics ~ Evolution and Natural Selection ~ Item EN021002

A population is a group of individuals of the same species. According to the theory of natural selection, what is likely to happen to a population when a change occurs in its environment (for example, the amount of rainfall decreases or the temperature increases)?

The individuals that have traits better suited to the changed environment would be more likely to survive and reproduce than those with less suitable traits.
All of the individuals would try to develop new traits so that they could survive and reproduce in the changed environment.
Some of the individuals would try to develop new traits so that they could survive and reproduce, and the other individuals would die.
Because all individuals of the same species have the same traits, one individual would never have an advantage over another in its population. They would either all survive or all die.

Item Details
Student Performance

Topic: Evolution and Natural Selection
Correct Answer: A
Misconceptions

Distribution of Responses

Chart showing distrubtion of responses for Item EN021002

Percent of students responding correctly

Overall	38%
Grades 6–8	29%
Grades 9–12	53%
Male	39%
Female	37%
Primary Language is English	38%
Primary Language is not English	35%

View data table

AAAS Science Assessment ^beta

Item EN021002: When a change occurs in the environment, the individuals that have traits that are better suited for the changed environment would be more likely to survive and reproduce.

AAAS Science Assessment beta

Item EN021002: When a change occurs in the environment, the individuals that have traits that are better suited for the changed environment would be more likely to survive and reproduce.

AAAS Science Assessment ^beta