Natural Selection Lab parts 3&4

Part 3 and 4

****You should not be here if you have not completed parts 1 & 2 yet!

Natural Selection Lab

Part 3

In this section we will explore the changes within a population that has variation and environmental limiting factors.

Open the simulation on a separate tab so you can get to it easily.

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Open Ended

In this section we will add a fur color variation to the population.

Predict how you expect the bunny population from part 2 will change if there is now variation added.

Justify your prediction with what you know about bunnies and wolves.

Hint: Consider what might be different from the previous sections.

Part 1: All white bunnies - no wolves added

Part 2: All white bunnies - wolves added

Part 3: White and brown bunnies - wolves added

Draw

Collect data from the simulation. Click Launch simulation to get started.

Add a Mate button

Click the Play button

Watch the generation clock at the top of the screen.

Click the Pause button after each generation change

Click the Proportions button.

Read the proportion of bunnies that have white fur and brown fur at that generation. Record these numbers into the data table below.

After 2 generations...

Click on "Brown Fur Recessive" mutation button

Click the play button to resume the simulation

Read the proportion of bunnies that have white fur and brown fur after each generation. Record these numbers into the data table.

After 4 generations...

Click "wolves" under the Environmental Factors to add wolves to the environment.

Click the play button to resume the simulation

Read the proportion of bunnies that have white fur and brown fur at the start of each generation. Record these numbers into the data table.

After 10 generations...

Press Pause.

Multiple Choice

Identify the source of variation in this population of rabbits.

• The addition of wolves

• Time

• A mutation

• The environment (equator vs. arctic)

Multiple Choice

Identify the dominant fur trait in the simulation.

• Brown Fur

• White Fur

Multiple Choice

Identify the recessive fur trait in the simulation.

• Brown Fur

• White Fur

Multiple Select

Describe your observations in the simulation and your data.

Hint: Select 4 correct descriptions.

• The proportion (%) of the dominant trait in the rabbit population decreases

• The proportion (%) of the recessive trait in the rabbit population increases.

• The proportion (%) of the recessive trait in the rabbit population decreases.

• The proportion (%) of rabbits with white fur decreases.

• The proportion (%) of rabbits with brown fur increases.

Multiple Choice

Is it possible that a recessive trait can be the most common trait in a population?

• Yes, if traits allow an individual to survive and reproduce more often, they will be passed down to the next generation.

• Yes, recessive traits are always expressed when in the presence of a dominant trait.

• No, dominant traits are the only traits that are expressed in the populations or organisms.

• No, dominant traits and recessive traits are expressed equally in populations of organisms.

Multiple Choice

Explain the change in the frequency (%) of the fur color trait.

• The brown fur allows bunnies to better find food to eat in this environment.

• The white fur allows bunnies to better find food to eat in this environment.

• Brown fur color provides some camouflage for bunnies to avoid wolves in this environment.

• White fur color provides some camouflage for bunnies to avoid wolves in this environment.

Multiple Select

Provide TWO reasons that describe how the explanation you selected above could have changed the population of bunnies.

Select all that apply:

• The white bunnies were eaten more often than the brown bunnies, and then could not reproduce.

• The individual white bunnies changed their fur color to be brown to hide from the wolves.

• The brown bunnies had a dominant mutation to allowed them to have larger populations.

• The brown bunnies survived and reproduced more often, and had more offspring with brown fur.

Multiple Choice

Describe the makeup of your bunny population at the end of generation 10.

Hint: You already have this number in your data table. This is a description of your population where you left it paused.

• Some of bunnies have white fur, some of the bunnies have brown fur. There is variation.

• All of the bunnies have brown fur. There is no variation.

• All of the bunnies have white fur. There is no variation.

Open Ended

Consider your current bunny population after generation 10.

Predict what you think may happen to this rabbit population if the environment suddenly changed to arctic conditions after generation 10.

Justify your prediction.

Open Ended

To test your prediction return to the same simulation of rabbits at generation 10.

Change the environment from the equator to the arctic.

Click the blue snowflake button .

Click the play button.

Let the simulation run for 10 more generations OR until it stops.

Describe what happened to the bunny population when the environment changed to the Arctic.

Open Ended

Was the prediction you made supported by what you observed? Explain.

Part 4

Explaining Natural Selection

Multiple Choice

Identify how variation appeared in this simulation.

• The color of the environment

• The size of the wolves

• The color fur of the bunnies.

Multiple Choice

Describe the components of the environment in this simulation that lead to competition for the bunnies.

• The presence of wolves

• The temperature of the environment

• The presence of snow

• The amount of food available

Multiple Select

Describe how the 'Survival of the Fittest' appears in the simulation when the bunnies were in an equator environment.

Hint: Select 2 descriptions.

• The white bunnies were eaten less often by the wolves, because they matched with the environment.

• The white bunnies were eaten more often by the wolves, because they did not match with the environment.

• The brown bunnies were eaten less often by the wolves, because they matched with the environment.

• The brown bunnies were eaten more often by the wolves, because they did not match with the environment.

Multiple Choice

Describe how Reproduction and Heritability appear in the simulation.

• The bunnies that survived had more bunnies that had a different fur color trait as they did.

• Bunnies that survived the wolves changed their fur color in the next generation.

• Only dominant traits were passed onto the next generations.

• The bunnies that survived had more bunnies that had the same fur color trait as they did.

Open Ended

Synthesize the ideas in the previous questions to explain how natural selection can change populations over time.

Include observations and evidence from the simulation to support your explanations.

(this is an analysis paragraph and should be 5-8 sentences)

Hint: Vocabulary to consider including: environment, variation, competition, limiting factors, survival, traits