Name ____________________________
Unit 7 Traits Test Review
1. Tell whether the statement is a learned behavior or inherited trait.
_____________________both speak the same language.
_____________________both have brown hair.
_____________________both can roll their tongues.
_____________________both have attached earlobes.
_____________________a bear having long fur
_____________________a spider spinning a web
_____________________a dog avoiding porcupines
_____________________a beaver having long teeth
_____________________brushing his/her teeth
_____________________playing with friends
_____________________having big feet
_____________________riding a bike
_____________________a baby crying
_____________________swimming in the pool
_____________________having long fingers
_____________________blushing when embarrassed
_____________________both like spicy food
_____________________both like reading about space
_____________________both watch baseball games
_____________________both have the same eye color
2. Every member of Amy's family can speak two languages other than English. They can speak
Spanish and German. The ability to speak more than one language is —
a. a learned behavior.
b. given at birth.
c. an accidental behavior.
d. an inherited trait.
3. Two brothers are twins. They have many similar traits and are alike inmany ways. Which trait did
the brothers inherit from their parents?
a. enjoy eating the same foods
b. live in the same house
c. have the same hair color
d. ride the same kind of bicycle
4. A family has a pet dog. The dog has always barked at other dogs and strangers. It loves to play
fetch with a ball. The dog once got scratched on the nose by a cat, so it now stays far away from
cats. It gets very excited when the box of dog food is shaken. Which of these behaviors is most
likely an inherited trait in dogs?
a.
b.
c.
d.
getting excited when the box of dog food is shaken
staying far away from cats
playing fetch
barking at other dogs and strangers
5. Red is a bloodhound with an excellent sense of smell. He can often be found hunting in the fields
following a scent, but ever since he was sprayed by a skunk, he runs in the opposite direction
when he smells one. He loves to go swimming. After being in the water, he shakes and rolls
around on the grass to dry off. After a long day, he curls up in the corner for a nap. Identify a
learned behavior that Red displays.
a. shaking water from his coat to dry off
b. running from the skunk smell
c. having an excellent sense of smell
d. curling up for a nap
6. The American Black Bear is found throughout North America. With about 600,000 bears on our
continent, they are a thriving species. All of the following are inherited traits of the Black Bear
EXCEPT —
a. hibernating in winter.
b. approaching humans to find food.
c. running up to 30 mph.
d. eating both plants and animals.
7. A daisy is a house plant that needs a lot of sunlight. If this plant is placed near a window and not
moved, it will bend toward the light. This is an example of _____________________
8. Which of these is an inherited trait for a dolphin?
a. hunting for military explosive devices
b. pushing a newborn dolphin to the surface to breathe
c. performing at Sea World
d. taking a human for a ride
9. A group of ecologists studied the wild horses that live on an island located near the state of
Maryland. The ecologists noticed that the horses have a number of interesting traits. Most are
brown colored, but some are brown and white. They usually eat grasses and drink from small
ponds. Occasionally, they roam the island's campgrounds, looking for food. The horses live
together in groups called bands. They flick their tails around to wave off mosquitoes and flies.
When they are very hot, they wade in the ocean or the bay. Identify one trait that the wild horses
in the passage above probably learned.
a. having brown coloring
b. running away from danger
c. eating grass
d. roaming campgrounds looking for food
Inherited Traits Mrs. Williams’s Class
Trait
Present
Absent
Attached Earlobes
14
10
Ability to Roll Tongue
5
19
Second Toe is Longer Than Big Toe
9
15
Widow’s Peak
13
11
10. Which two traits were present in more than half of the students in Mrs. Williams's class?
a. attached earlobes, ability to roll tongue
b. attached earlobes, widow's peak
c. widow's peak, second toe is longer than big toe
d. ability to roll tongue, second toe is longer than big toe
11. Which statement best summarizes the inherited traits that were found in the students in Mrs.
Williams's class?
a. Students who have attached earlobes were more likely to have the ability to roll their
tongues.
b. Having a second toe that is longer than the big toe and having a widow's peak are not
related.
c. If you can roll your tongue, you likely have a widow's peak.
d. Students who have a widow's peak were less likely to have attached earlobes.
12. Identify the following likenesses as either inherited or learned. Place each under the correct
heading.
Size of your hands
Table manners
Knowing how to read
Shape of a leaf
Balancing a book on your head
The ability to understand a language
How tall you are
Ability for a cheetah to run fast
Inherited
Learned
13. Different breeds of dogs are bred to make a new breed. An example of this would be Golden
Retrievers and Poodles. When bred together, they create a new breed called a Golden Doodle.
Amanda decides she wants to try breeding her two dogs together and see what she could get.
Using the table, which characteristics could she expect her new puppies to have?
Male Dog
Female Dog
Black fur
Black fur
Short fur
Long fur
Brown eyes
Brown eyes
Long tail
Short tail
Big feet
Big feet
Like playing catch
Likes playing catch
Likes playing tug of war
Likes playing tug of war
Likes swimming
Dislikes swimming
Identify inherited traits and learned behaviors in the list above.
Circle the three most likely traits the new puppies will have. Explain you answer below.
A Black Fur
B Yellow Fur
C Short Fur
D Long Fur
E Brown Eyes
F Blue Eyes
G Long Tail
H Short Tail
J Big Feet
K Small Feet
L Likes playing
M Doesn't like playing
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