Adaptation & Survival Study Guide
Name _______________________________ Test Date _______________
Parent Signature ______________________________________________
What is adaptation?
1. A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its natural environment is an ______________________.
2. Organisms that are best adapted to their environment _______________________________ and pass on their
traits to offspring.
3. A physical structure that helps an organism survive in its environment, such as the __________________
of an animal’s fur, is a ______________________________ adaptation.
4. A characteristic that is an organism’s response to its environment is a _____________________________
adaptation.
What are some plant adaptations?
5. Some plants have adapted to _______________________________ environments by developing thick, waxy
stems to prevent water loss.
6. Plants that are common in cold climates often have __________________________ growing periods.
7. Some plants produce bad-tasting chemicals that make them unattractive to ___________________________
that might eat them.
What are some animal adaptations?
8. To keep warm in cold climates, animals have ________________________ fur.
9. In hot deserts, animals are often more active at ________________________, when temperatures drop.
10. Any color, shape, or pattern that lets an organism blend into its environment is
______________________________.
11. A type of camouflage in which an organism’s coloring helps it blend in with its background is
______________________________ coloring.
12. When an organism matches the color, shape, and texture of the environment around it, it is
showing protective _________________________________.
What is mimicry?
13. An adaptation in which an organism gets protective from predators by looking like a dangerous
animal is ______________________________.
14. Predators also use this characteristic to fool _________________________; believing that the predators are
harmless, prey come close enough to be caught.
What is natural selection?
15. _________________________ are differences among members of the same species.
16. Darwin’s theory is known as ____________________________ _____________________________. According to
theory, an organism with favorable ____________________________ is well suited to its environment.
17. Darwin’s theory is sometimes called the “____________________________________________________________.”
18. Species become ___________________ because they cannot adapt.
What is evidence of change over time?
19. ____________________________ are any remains, traces, or imprints of organisms that lived long ago.
20. Fossils provide clues that tell us how __________________________________ have changed. Scientist found
an ancient whale called Basilosaurus in Mississippi. These fossils indicate that Mississippi was once
covered by __________________________.
21. Fossils can also help determine the _____________________________ of an area. If scientist found fossils in
Antarctica that had warm-climate characteristics, they might conclude that Antarctica was
_______________________ in the past.
22. Fossils also provide clues about what organisms were like in the past and how they have changed.
Scientist found fossilized bones of a Smilodon, which is an ancestor to the modern-day ______________.
However the ______________ are much larger than a modern lion and tiger. This tells us that the
_________________ in the Smilodon’s environment was much ________________________.
23. Fossils also provide clues as to what animals ate. If it had flat teeth, it probably ate ___________________.
If it had long, sharp teeth, it probably ate _____________________.
24. What information can be learned from a fossil?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
25. As environments continue to change, organisms _________________________, ___________________________, or
_____________________________________. Fossils evidence indicates that _________________________ change over
time to _________________________.
Adaptation & Survival Study Guide Answers
Name _______________________________ Test Date _______________
Parent Signature ______________________________________________
What is adaptation?
1. A characteristic that helps an organism survive in its natural environment is an adaptation.
2. Organisms that are best adapted to their environment reproduce and pass on their traits to
offspring.
3. A physical structure that helps an organism survive in its environment, such as the color of an
animal’s fur, is a structural adaptation.
4. A characteristic that is an organism’s response to its environment is a behavioral adaptation.
What are some plant adaptations?
5. Some plants have adapted to desert/dry environments by developing thick, waxy stems to prevent
water loss.
6. Plants that are common in cold climates often have shortened growing periods.
7. Some plants produce bad-tasting chemicals that make them unattractive to herbivores/planteating animals that might eat them.
What are some animal adaptations?
8. To keep warm in cold climates, animals have thick fur.
9. In hot deserts, animals are often more active at night, when temperatures drop.
10. Any color, shape, or pattern that lets an organism blend into its environment is camouflage.
11. A type of camouflage in which an organism’s coloring helps it blend in with its background is
protective coloring.
12. When an organism matches the color, shape, and texture of the environment around it, it is
showing protective resemblance.
What is mimicry?
13. An adaptation in which an organism gets protective from predators by looking like a dangerous
animal is mimicry.
14. Predators also use this characteristic to fool prey believing that the predators are harmless, prey
come close enough to be caught.
What is natural selection?
15. Variations are differences among members of the same species.
16. Darwin’s theory is known as natural selection. According to theory, an organism with favorable
variations is well suited to its environment.
17. Darwin’s theory is sometimes called the “survival of the fittest.”
18. An extinct species not longer exists anywhere on Earth. Species become extinct because they
cannot adapt.
What is evidence of change over time?
19. Fossils are any remains, traces, or imprints of organisms that lived long ago.
20. Fossils provide clues that tell us how environments have changed. Scientist found an ancient
whale called Basilosaurus in Mississippi. These fossils indicate that Mississippi was once covered
by water.
21. Fossils can also help determine the past climate of an area. If scientist found fossils in Antarctica
that had warm-climate characteristics, they might conclude that Antarctica was warmer in the past.
22. Fossils also provide clues about what organisms were like in the past and how they have changed.
Scientist found fossilized bones of a Smilodon, which is an ancestor to the modern-day cat.
However the Smilodon’s fangs are much larger than a modern lion and tiger’s fangs. This tells us
that the prey in the Smilodon’s environment was much larger.
23. Fossils also provide clues as to what animals ate. If it had flat teeth, it probably ate plants. If it had
long, sharp teeth, it probably ate meat.
24. What other information can be learned from a fossil? Organism’s size, type of organism, and the
organism’s shape
25. As environments continue to change, organisms adapt, move on, or die out. Fossils evidence
indicates that species change over time to survive.