Evolutionary Relationships

Rubi Isaza

Ms. Dameron

Problem:

How does a population change as a result of natural selection?

Materials:

 5 different colors of paper cut into 1 cm × 1 cm squares (at least 100 squares of
each color)
 Multicolored fabric or newspaper, approximately 1 meter × 1 meter
 1 or 2 partners (friends or family)

Procedure:

 The prey will be represented by the small 1 cm × 1 cm squares of paper and the
habitat is represented by the 1 meter × 1-meter piece of fabric. Hypothesize
which color prey you think is most likely to be captured by the predator and
which color prey is most likely to survive, and then record your hypothesis. Be
sure that your hypothesis includes explanations for your predictions.
 Have the two partners (prey) stand with their backs to the habitat while you
scatter 20 squares of each color randomly on the fabric. Try to achieve a uniform
distribution and be sure to separate any that are clumped together.
 Have the partner(s) randomly pick up the prey as fast as they can. Have them
stop when they have collected a total of 75 prey, leaving the other 25 remaining
in the habitat.
 Count the number of survivors of each color. Each surviving prey has three
offspring of the same color, bringing the total population back up to 100. Record
the number of each color in the next generation in your data table.
 Count out the correct number of each colored prey and scatter them on the
fabric. Repeat the process two more times, for a total of three generations.

Hypothesis
If the lightest colors survive then the darker colors will perish slowly.

Generation Red Green Brown Orange Pink

s
0 20 20 20 20 20
1 4 20 4 20 52
2 0 24 0 4 72
3 0 12 0 4 84

Test one
Color Surviving # +3 total
Red 1 3 4
Green 5 15 20
Brown 1 3 4
Orange 5 15 20
Pink 13 39 52

Test two
Color Surviving # +3 total
Red 0 0 0
Green 6 18 24
Brown 0 0 0
Orange 1 3 4
Pink 18 54 72

Test 3
Color Surviving # +3 Total
Red 0 0 0
Green 5 9 12
Brown 0 0 0
Orange 1 3 4
Pink 21 63 84

Observation: I noticed that the lighter colors were picked more, and the
darker colors were extinct.
Conclusion
In this experiment, the surviving prey differed greatly from the initial prey. We started with 20
individuals each color in generation 0. Over time each color either were perished or still living. I
think when each color was picked the dark ones were picked up first because the light colors
(pink and green) were picked more than red and brown which died out.

 How do the original and surviving prey populations compare?

The lighter colors are still there they haven’t changed but the darker colors kept
disappearing.

 How did the colors of each type of prey affect its population size over time?

The lighter colors were picked more than the darker colors. So, the lighter colors are
mammals and the darker colors are bugs.

 What color(s) seemed to camouflage the best in this habitat? What color(s)
seemed to stand out the most?

Pink stands out more because it has the greatest population than the other colors.

 How do you predict the data would change if you continued? Explain your
answer.

I believe that pink will be the last one to extinct because it’s the lightest color out all the
colors. Then it will go by lighter to darker on which one will perish last.
  How would these results change if the colors or patterns of the habitat were to
change?

If it were to change then the lighter color pink will be the first one to perish and
brown the darker color will be still living.

 Identify at least two things that are unrealistic and two things that are realistic
about this exercise.

Color can’t perish and you can’t go by colors on what the prey is. The numbers on
which ones were picked are real and my hypothesis is right.

 What traits could help a predator be more “fit” in this model environment?

An acute sense of vision hearing and smell.

 Describe other adaptations besides color that could affect an individual’s

survival.

There surrounds or what animal eats that animal.