A Simulation of Natural Selection

Question: Can natural selection change the frequency of traits in a

population in only a few generations?

Lab Overview: In this investigation you and your classmates will use a

simulation exercise to explore why different beak phenotypes are present and can change over several generations in a population of birds on an island.
Introduction: Evolution is the result of natural selection acting upon variation within

a population. Organisms with favored traits within a given set of environmental circumstances have a selective advantage over individuals with different traits. It is this mechanism that leads to speciation. It is important to understand that favored traits are only advantageous within a particular situation and may not aid survival in another circumstance. A cats long tail may aid in balancing on a tree branch but be disadvantageous in a house with frequently closing doors. Generally, natural selection is said to have occurred when a population changes in response to its environment as better adapted individuals leave more offspring. Bird beaks have adapted to help birds survive and find food within their habitat. Each beak shape is designed for eating a certain type of food. A birds beak is unique and is multi functional. The type of beak a bird has depends on what they consume and location of its food source. The most crucial purpose of a bird beak is for feeding. The distinctive shape of the beak allows for easier access to food supplies. During your investigation you should relate this activity to the population of birds (ground finches) on the Galpagos Islands. You and your classmates will be simulating how much food each finch can acquire by using its particular beak shape. Each birds ability to acquire food will determine whether it dies, or whether it survives and reproduces. The number of offspring produced depends on the amount of food each bird acquires, which can vary greatly under changing environmental conditions. After simulating ten generations, you will analyze data to discover how the frequency of each beak type in the population changed over the generations.
Background: Medium ground finches typically feed on small, soft fruit

and seeds. The birds prefer soft seeds because they are easier to crack. However, during periods of drought, food becomes scarce. The birds are forced to eat more hard seeds that are difficult to break open. Scientists Peter and Rosemary Grant and their team studied the islands population of medium ground finches and discovered that there are significant variations in the beak depths of individual birds. Birds with deeper beaks are better able to crack open hard

seeds than birds with shallower beaks. These variations in beak depth made it possible for some of the medium ground finches to get enough food to survive and reproduce during long droughts.
Prelab Activity A: To find out more about the variations in beak depth

found in the medium ground finch population of the Galapagos Islands, follow the steps below. Afterward, answer the Prelab Questions. 1. With a metric ruler, measure the beak depths of the two medium ground finches pictured below. Record your measurements in the spaces provided.

________mm Finch B Beak Depth: ________mm

Finch A Beak Depth:
2. Study the graph below showing the average beak depth found in

the medium ground finch population over a period of 8 years.

Prelab Questions: 1. In which years did the medium ground finch population have the

largest average beak depth? Were these wet years or dry years?

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2. Which of the two finches you measured in the Prelab Activity do you

think would be more likely to survive and reproduce in a drought year? Explain.

_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ _______________

Prelab Activity A: The beak adaptations shown in the diagrams are

described below. Each beak adaptation is especially useful for gathering certain types of food. Read each description, find the beak drawing the matches the description, and then label the drawing with the name of the beak type on the blank line beneath it. Fish-eating beak: long, slim, strong, and pointed to reach into the water and to grasp slippery creatures Insect-catching beak: small beak that can open wide to grab insects in flight Seed-eating beak: arched into the shape of a cone; stout and sharp to crack seeds Insect- and Fruit-eating beak: narrow and pointed to grab insects or reach for fruits, and slightly arched to crack seeds; larger than an insect-catching beak but shorter than a fish-eating beak; sleeker and longer than a seed-eating beak Water- and Mud-shifting beak: wide and shallow; comb-like strainers on edges filter out bits of food in the water Chisel beak: sturdy and sharply pointed to chisel into wood; accompanied by an extremely long, barb-tipped tongue to pull insects and insect eggs out of tunnels in bark or wood Preying beak: stout, sharp, and sharply hooked to tear into the flesh of animals Probing beak: thin and long to reach insects and other small animals buried in mud or sand

POST LAB QUESTIONS: Answer the following questions on a separate piece of paperplease TYPE your responses!
1. Was there one beak phenotype that was more successful than another in rounds 110? (In your group? For the class?) If so, which one, why do you think this is so? 2. Competition and variation are two factors that play key roles in natural selection. Describe how these two factors resulted in natural selection in the population of ground finches on the Galapagos Islands throughout the years. 3. What was the overall purpose of this lab activity? 4. The criteria for natural selection are as follows: overpopulation leads to competition for limited resources. There is variation among members of the population and those with better adaptations are naturally selected (survival of the fittest). As a result, they are able to reproduce and pass on the favorable traits to subsequent generations, eventually leading to a change in the population evolution. Describe (step by step) how each of these criteria played out in this lab activity 5. A mutation occurred in a new offspring in our population one of the species of finches on the island that allowed it to have a mouthpart that

stored more food. Explain what would likely occur to that individual and to that population over several generations. 6. A year later, more of the larger food particles were present in both lands. Predict what would happen to the two populationsexplain why?