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Natural

Selection Lab Report


Kelsey Koonce
September 23, 2015
Anthropology 1020

Introduction
a. In Intense Natural Selection in a Population of Darwins Finches in the
Galapagos by Peter T. Boag 1981 It talks about how the finches survived though a
drought on Daphne Major Island. It was nonrandom and the birds with the larger
beaks, especially the males survived the best because theyre beaks were big enough
to crack the large shells of the seeds that survived the drought. The birds with the
smaller beaks could not crack the seeds and slowly died off. In another article Bmp4
and Morphological Variation of Beaks in Darwins Finches by Arhat Abzhanov,
Meredith Protas, B. Rosemary Grant, Peter R. Grant and Clifford J. Tabin 2004, they
talked about Darwins finches being a classic example of diversity by natural
selection. They looked at the variation in beak morphology and how it associated
with the variety of ecological niches. They performed an analysis of patterns of
various growth factors and found that the upper beaks strongly correlated with
deep and broad beak morphology.
The finches having the bigger beak were able to survive the drought and therefore
were able to create more offspring thus why they continued to grow in number and
beak size. We decided to create our own Natural Selection Lab and this is how it
went.

b. i. Hypothesis: I predict that given a better beak, the better we will live. I
think that the chip clips, and tongs will increase and all else will decrease.

ii. In looking at all the different tools to be used at as beaks I looked at what
would be the easiest to manipulate, and use and what could really hold the seed
easily. As well as what would have the greatest speed.
Materials and Methods
a. The materials used for the experiment were: 5 tongs, 5 clothes pins, 5
chopsticks, 5 tweezers, 5 hair clips, 5 chip clips, and 2 binder clips.
b. Spreading about 150 seeds at approximately 12 tables participants sat
down and was passed out different beaks (materials). They were handed
out at random with different people all having the different materials
mentioned above. Participants were given a small cup to put their seeds
in and were timed. The experimenter conducting the experiment started
them all at the same time and gave them one minute to gather as many
seeds as possible in that time frame. After the minute was up the
participants counted their seeds. The three participants with the most
seeds went to the front of the room and were given a prize as well as
keeping the same beak (material) they had used previously. The three
participants with the lowest amount of seeds were then given whatever
material had the most seeds and their beak died off. Then it was repeated
with a minute and the gathering of seeds and the winners getting prizes,
the bad beaks dying off and getting the better beak and then done again.

This was repeated 5 times. On the last round the participants switched
with a random person taking their beak to see how they survived.

Results a:

# of
times Base

Tongs
Clothes pins

5
5

Chopsticks
Tweezers

5
5

Hair clips

Chip clips

Binder clips

1st

2nd

3rd
8

5
6
2

5
8

5
10
1

4th

8
3

5th
11

4
12
0

4
11
0

B:
14
12
10

Series 1
Series 2

Series 3
6

series 4
Series 5

Series 6

2
0
Tongs

Clothes Chopsticks Tweezers Hair Clips Chip Clips Binder


Pins
Clips







C:
People with the tongs increased with each segment starting with 5 and going to 6, 7,
8, 8 and ending with 11. The clothes pins slowly decreased starting with 5 and
lowering to 4, 3, 3, 3, and then ending with 2.The chopsticks decreased fast starting
with 5 and going to 3,2,1,1, and ending with 0. The tweezers were more inconsistent
increasing and then decreasing, starting with 5 and going up to 6, 6, and then
decreasing to 4, 4, and ending with 4. The hairclips stayed consistent until the end
starting with 5, 5, 5, 5, and then going down to 4, and ending with 4. The chip clips
did the best starting at 5 and increasing to 6, 8, 10, and 12 until the end with an 11.
The binder clips started with the lowest amount at 2 and decreasing from 2, 1, 1,
and 0, 0.

Conclusion:

A: My hypothesis ended up being correct in that the tongs and chip clips did
the best and all the others decreased or died off with time.
B: Both the tongs and chip clips ending with 11 as the highest number.
C: Possible error were your hands getting tired and slowing you down as well
as switching with someone and the person with the beak not staying consistent.

D: Replication of this experiment could have the same results if the same type
of people were given the same type of material. But they could also have completely
different results if someone was not as naturally coordinated with that specific tool.

Discussion:

A: The scientific method is a procedure that uses observation, measurement
and experiment. There are six steps to the scientific method. 1. Select a topic and
review past theory and research. 2. Develop a theory and generate a hypothesis. 3.
Obtain approval. 4. Run the study/experiment aka collect the data. 5. Analyze the
data. 6. Report the results. There are many fields that use the scientific method. My
field psychology does, anthropology, biology, chemistry, marketing, I think you
could say almost every field does whether they know it or not.

B: This activity used the scientific method by coming up with a topic:
Darwins finches. I then developed a theory about it and hypothesis and then I ran
the experiment testing different beaks. I then made a chart and analyzed the data.
And now I am reporting my results.

C: More humans, species, etc. are produced each generation from the
individual with the best traits that can survive that specific environment.

D: The better material continued to multiply each round and the ones that
didnt work well with the seeds/environment died off.

E: The humans that had the better blood type or were more resistant to the
black plague were able to survive and therefore created more offspring and more
humans with that specific blood type.


References:

Works Cited
Grant, P.R. (1981) Intense Natural Selection in a Population of Darwins Finches.
Abzhanov, A. , Protas, M. Grant, B. R. , Grant, P. R. , Tabin, C.J. (2004) Bmp4 and
Morphological Variation of Beaks in Darwins Finches.
www.sciencemag.org
Kelseys psychology notes from social psychology on the scientific method.

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