Bowhead whales are the only species of large whales that live their entire life
ID: 133236 • Letter: B
Question
Bowhead whales are the only species of large whales that live their entire life in the icy water of the Arctic Ocean. They have a couple adaptations that help them do this. First, bowhead whales have a thick layer of fat under their skin called blubber that helps keep them warm. The blubber of bowhead whales is18 inches thick, which is thicker than any other whale. Second, bowhead whales have a remarkably thick skull. This allows them to break thick ice in order to get air to breathe. No other whales have such thick skulls. Available evidence shows that bowhead whales evolved from ancestors that lived in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean and did not have either thick blubber or thick skulls.
Which of the following is the best description of the role cold water played in the evolution of thick
blubber?
It directly influenced the growth and development of the whales.
It forced all the whales to change so they could survive and reproduce.
It made the whales work to stay warm and these efforts caused whales to change.
It helped determine which whales each generation survived and which did not.
It caused mutations that gave whales thicker and thicker blubber.
What is the best way to describe the evolutionary changes that occurred among the whales while
the species evolved thick skulls?
Mutations increased the skull thickness of more and more whales each year.
The skull of each whale got a little thicker during its lifetime.
The population changed randomly each year.
Whales with thick skulls reproduced and became more common.
Consider a baby whale born during the time the ancestors of modern bowhead whales were evolving thicker skulls. When this whale grows up, how will its skull compare to the skulls of its parents?
When the baby whale grows up, its skull will probably be slightly thicker than the skullsof its
parents.
Skull development is affected by many factors, so we cannot predict how this whale’s skull
will grow.
When the baby whale grows up, its skull will probably be slightly thinner than the skulls of its
parents.
When the baby whale grows up, its skull will probably be similar to its parents.
Orcas (also known as “killer whales”) hunt bowhead whales. A biologist wants to know how fast bowhead whales can swim when chased by orcas. She observes female whales being chased by orcas and measures the maximum speed these whales can swim. What will she most likely observe? Why?
All of the whales swim the same speed because they are the same species.
There will be notable differences among the whales because each whale has had different
amounts of nutrition and exercise during its life.
There will be notable differences among the whales because each whale has different genes.
Both “b” and “c”.
It is impossible to predict given the information provided.
a.It directly influenced the growth and development of the whales.
b.It forced all the whales to change so they could survive and reproduce.
c.It made the whales work to stay warm and these efforts caused whales to change.
d.It helped determine which whales each generation survived and which did not.
e.It caused mutations that gave whales thicker and thicker blubber.
Explanation / Answer
Answer 1) The best description of the role cold water played in evolution of the thick blubber is it forced all the whales to change so that they could survive and reproduce.
Answer 2) mutations increased the thickness of skull of more and more each year.
Answer 3) when the baby whale grows up, its skull i slightly thinner than the skulls of their parents.
Answer 4) option d is the correct answer.
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.