17.8: Evolution and Populations- Challenge 1

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1. ___ are random changes in an organism's genes.: Mutations

2. In Nebraska, natural selection favors deer mice that ___.: match the color of the soil where they live

3. A harmful mutation may become beneficial if ___.: the environment changes

4. Scientists learn about natural selection by looking at older organisms preserved as ___.: fossils

5. Adaptations are ___.: small genetic changes that build up over time and allow organisms to survive in changing environments

6. When glaciers dropped light sand over Nebraska, the deer mouse population became lighter in color on average because ___.: darker mice couldn't hide from predators as well as light mice, so the environment selected against darker coats

7. If a population uses vital resources faster than those resources are being replenished, the population has ___.: exceeded its carrying capacity

8. The formula to calculate the growth rate of a population is ___.: birth rate - death rate

9. ___ is an important abiotic factor affecting population growth.: Space

10. Three characteristics of all life include ___.: metabolism, being organic, and being capable of replication/reproduction

11. To learn about the origin of life, scientists examine ancient microorganisms, study organisms living in extreme environments, and ___.: perform experiments that recreate the environmental conditions found at that time