Name__________________________________________________Date_________________
Thanksgiving Science Trivia
1. What is the genus and species of the turkey?
2. What is a snood?
3. How many pounds of turkey did the average American consume in the year 2012?
4. Why are cranberries described as epigynous?
5. Firearms hunting season for white tailed deer often begins close to
Thanksgiving. In which five U.S. states are white tailed deer not naturally found?
6. Approximately how many feathers does a mature turkey have?
7. By popular legend, how did male turkeys become known as “toms”?
8. Sweet potatoes are quite nutritious and provide the greatest percentage
recommended daily allowance of which vitamin?
9. According to a recent study, professional football players often suffer from
dementia due to repeated concussions. How much greater is a pro football
player’s risk of dementia than that of an average person?
10. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in turkey. Which codon
specifies tryptophan?
11. Turkey meat may be categorized as dark meat or white meat. Which type is
made of slow twitch muscle fibers?
12. What pigments in leaves are responsible for the yellow, red, and orange
colors seen in autumn before deciduous trees drop their leaves?
13. Tryptophan in turkey has been blamed for making people feel sleepy after a
meal. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that is a precursor for which
neurotransmitter that might be associated with sleepiness?
14. The correct term for the wishbone is the __________? It forms by the fusion
of which other bones?
15. Native Americans taught the Pilgrims to plant corn. Corn hundreds of years
ago was probably more similar in appearance and taste to what is now fed to
animals. A mutation in a corn gene is thought to have replaced starchiness with
sugar. Name the gene that is responsible for this.
