Lab: Natural Selection

1. Visit http://sepuplhs.org/high/sgi/teachers/evolution_act11_sim.html

2. Background: In this simulation you will investigate populations of birds living on an island. You will begin by selecting
three birds that represent phenotypes for several traits in one population that lives in the southwest portion of
the island. You will explore how this population changes over time in the southwest. Then you will explore how
the population evolves over long time periods in various environments on other areas on the island.

3. The first simulation represents 500,000 years. During this time, mutations may alter the ability of some birds and their
descendants to thrive in the environment. Birds with traits that enhance their fitness are more likely to survive
and reproduce. In the southwest, your birds will encounter the environmental conditions listed in the table below.

4. Fill in the second column of the chart with the bird phenotypes that you predict would be are best suited for each of
the conditions.

Table 1: Environmental Conditions and Bird Phenotype

Environmental Bird #1 Phenotypes Bird #2 Phenotypes Bird #3 Phenotypes

Condition Prediction Prediction Prediction
Seeds, Insects, Nectar
Curvature Curvature Curvature
Medium curve Curved Medium curve

Length Length Length

Medium short Medium short Medium

Predators
Body Size Body Size Body Size
Medium Small Medium Medium large Medium short
Medium
Medium Large
Foliage Color
Plumage Color Plumage Color Plumage Color
Light Green Light brown Light green Yellow
Light Brown
Yellow
5. Watch the animation and record the changes occur in each bird population over time.
Not every box will be filled in - only when changes occur do you fill in a box.

Table 2: Changes in Bird Populations Over Time

Bird #1 Population Bird #2 Population Bird #3 Population

Years # of Mutation # of Mutation # of Mutation

Birds Birds Birds
50,000 564 465 A small number of offspring inherited 663
a random mutation.
Their plumage is dark green. The
mutation did not increase or
decrease fitness related to food or
predators, but the mutation made
the offspring better mates, some
non-mutated birds still survive.
100,00 764 465 A small number of offspring inherited 938
a random mutation. Their plumage is
light green. The mutation did not
increase or decrease fitness related
to food o predators, but the mutation
made the offspring susceptible to
diseases and they died off.

150,00 466 1163 A small number of offspring inherited

0 928 a random mutation. Their body size
is larger. The offspring were less fit
as a result of the mutation. Over
time, this phenotype is no longer
present in this population.
200,00 468 1433 A small number of offspring inherited
0 1124 a random mutation. Their beak is
more curved. The offspring were less
fit as a result of the mutation. Over
time, this phenotype is no longer
present in the population.
250,00 1364 472 1763 A small number of offspring inherited
0 a random mutation. Their plumage is
orange. The mutation did not
increase Or decrease fitness related
to food or predators, but the
mutation made the offspring
susceptible to diseases and they died
off.
300,00 1544 471 A small number of offspring inherited 2010
0 a random mutation. Their beak is
more curved. The offspring were less
fit as a result of the mutation. Over
time, this phenotype is no longer
present in the population.
350,00 1764 473 A small number of offspring inherited 2313
0 a random mutation. Their plumage is
light green. The mutation did not
increase of decrease fitness related
to food or predators, but the
mutation made the offspring
susceptible to disease and they died
 off.
400,00 1964 A small number of offspring 477 2588
0 inherited a random
mutation.
Their plumage is light
green. The mutation did not
increase or decrease fitness
related to food or
predators, but the mutation
made the offspring better
mates.
Some non-mutated birds
still survive.
450,00 1864 475 A small number of offspring inherited 2863
0 a random mutation.
Their plumage is light green. The
mutation did not increase or
decrease fitness related to food or
predators, but the mutation made
offspring better mates. Some non-
mutated brides still survive.
500,00 1796 473 3050
0

6. On the website, click SAVE and give your simulation a name. Answer the questions below.

1. Discuss how the bird populations changed over the course of the 500,000 years. For example, what
types of mutations occurred? Under what circumstances were the offspring more or less fit as a
result of the mutation? After my first bird went through a mutation the population started going
down and with the second bird population stayed between 465 and 474. With the third bird the
population keep going up and it had mutations that changed their body type and it made them slower and
their beak became more curved both of these were less fit for the bird. The second bird had a mutation
that made their beak more curved and this was also a less fit for the bird other than that the birds
plumage keeps change to light green. With the first bird the only mutation it had was changing it plumage
to light green and that had no effect on their health or body

2. Were your ideas about the fitness of each phenotype you selected correct? Explain why or why not.
No because I tought that the second bird would have had the. Larger population because it was larger than the other
bird and with th first bird I thought that with it having a meduim sized body with the color light brown they would
have a larger number of offspring than yellow. With the third bird I would have thought that with it having a
medium curved beak that’s medium long that they would have had better supple for the seeds.
7. Follow these steps to be ready to share your data with the class tomorrow.
 Go back to Table #2 and make sure ALL of it is seen.
 Press the Windows key and Print Screen at the same time to capture the entire screen.
 Open a NEW word document and press Control key and V key at the same time to paste the
screen shot into the word document.
 Right click on the picture and click Save as picture and give the picture a name. (Make sure you
know where you are saving the picture on your computer so you can easily find it tomorrow.)

8. Day 2: Share your Table #2 with the class in the Nearpod (I will give you the code). Click on one person from
each group to view their data.

10. A hurricane has hit the island and some of the birds have been blown to three new areas! You and your
group members will select the unique environmental parameters for the Northeast. The other two
will be generated automatically. I will assign each group a Nearpod Code. Discuss in the
collaboration board what conditions your want. Then come to a final consensus.

11. Complete the chart below.

Northeast Conditions Your Group Selected

Food Sources Predators Color of Foliage

(None, Some, Plenty) (None, Some, Many)

1 2 3 4 5
Seeds –plenty None Color #5

Insects –none

Nectar – some
12. Click on Continue. Look at the Northwest and Southeast environments and complete the tables below.

Northwest Conditions

Food Sources Predators Color of Foliage

(None, Some, Plenty) (None, Some, Many)

1 2 3 4 5
Seeds –none None Color #3

Insects –some

Nectar – plenty

Southeast Conditions

Food Sources Predators Color of Foliage

(None, Some, Plenty) (None, Some, Many)

1 2 3 4 5
Seeds –some Some Color #2

Insects –plenty

Nectar – none

13. On website, click SAVE. In a Nearpod Code I will share with you (each group will have their own Nearpod
Code), discuss which birds you think will be most fit in each new environment and which will be less fit.

14. Answer the following question (individually). Record your ideas and explain your reasoning. Which birds
(bird #1 = top bird #2 = middle bird #3 = bottom) do you think will be most fit in each new environment?

Northeast:I feel that bird #2 would would because its beak is more suited for seeds so if it goes
there it would have food that it can eat with ease.

Northwest: I feel that bird #1 would be better suited for this environment because its beak is best
used to eat nectar and this environment has plenty of nectar.

Southeast:I feel that bird #3 would be better suited for this environment because its beak is
curved and has a better chance of getting away from predators because it has a smaller body build.

15. Click on Continue. Then click on Start. After every 50,000 years, record the information in Table #3.

Table #3
 Northeast Northwest Southeast

Years # of Mutation # of Mutation # of Mutation

Birds Birds Birds
550,000 Bird Bird Bird 1: body size smaller. The Bird Bird 2: beak is more curved
1:699 1: 799 offspring were more fit. Over 1: Bird 3: plumage is light brown.
time, most off the population 849 #2,3: the offspring were more
Bird 2: Bird has this phenotype. Some non- fit. Over time, most of the
mutated birds still survive. population has this
233 2: 33 Bird
phenotype. Some non-
2: mutated birds still survive.
Bird 3: Bird 283
1167 3:
131. Bird
3:
326
600,00 Bird 1 #1: plumage is dark green. The Bird 1 #3: plumage is orange. The Bird 1
222 offspring were less fit. Over time, 868 offspring were more fit. Over 839
this phenotype is no longer present time, most of the population has
Bird 2 in the population. Bird 2 this phenotype. Some non- Bird 2
mutated birds still survive
137 0 421

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

551 1593 427
650,000 Bird 1 Bird 1 #3: beak is less curved. The Bird 1 #3: beak is shorter. The
103 938 offspring were more fit. Over 749 offspring were less fit. Over
time, most of the population has time, this phenotype is no
Bird 2 Bird 2 this phenotype. Some non- Bird 2 longer present in the
mutated birds still survive. population.
116 0 491

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

305 1781 438
700,000 Bird 1 #1: body size is smaller. The Bird 1 #1: plumage is dark green. The Bird 1 #2: body size is smaller. The
195 offspring were more fit. Over 1007 offspring were fit. Over time, 471 offspring were less fit. Over
time, most of the population most of the population has this time, this phenotype in no
Bird 2 has this phenotype. Some non- Bird 2 phenotype. Some non-mutated Bird 2 longer present in the
birds still survive.
185 mutated birds still survive. 0 422 population.

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

443 1942 331
750,000 Bird 1 Bird 1 #1: beak is longer. The offspring Bird 1 #2: plumage is light brown.
432 1072 were more fit. Over time, most 101 The offspring were less fit.
of the population has this Over time, this phenotype is
Bird 2 Bird 2 phenotype. Some non- mutated Bird 2 no longer present in the
birds still survive.
293 0 102 population.

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

679 2092 105
800,000 Bird 1 #1: plumage is dark green. Bird 1 #3: beak is shorter. The offspring Bird 1
685 #3: beak is longer. 1256 were more fit. Over time, most 28
#1,3: the offspring were more fit. of the population has this
Bird 2 Over time, most of the population Bird 2 phenotype. Some non-mutated Bird 2
has this phenotype. Some non- birds still survive.
408 0 0
mutated birds still survive.

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

 932 2253 65
850,000 Bird 1 #3: plumage is orange. The Bird 1 #1: plumage is light green.The Bird 1 #1: beak. Is longer .The
899 offspring were more fit. Over time, 1412 offspring were more fit. Over 26 offspring were less fit. Over
most of the population has this time, most of the population has time, this phenotype is no
Bird 2 phenotype. Some non- mutated Bird this phenotype. Some non- Bird 2 longer present in the
birds still survive. mutated birds still survive. population.
505 2. 0 0

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

1147 2292 58
900,000 Bird 1 Bird 1 #1: beak is more. Bird 1
1158 1600 #3: body size is smaller. 0
#1,3: the offspring were more fit.
Bird 2 Bird 2 Over time, most of the Bird 2
population has this phenotype.
623 0 0
Some non-mutated birds still
survive.
Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3
1405 2339 0
950,000 Bird 1 #2: body size is larger. The offspring Bird 1 #3: beak is longer. The offspring Bird 1
1405 were more fit. Over time, most of 1802 were less fit. Over time, this 0
the population has this phenotype. phenotype is no longer present
Bird 2 Some non- mutated birds still Bird in the population. Bird 2
survive.
735 2. 0 0

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

1653 2452 0
1,000,000 Bird 1 Bird 1 Bird 1
1614 669 0

Bird 2 Bird 2 Bird 2

773 0 0

Bird 3 Bird 3 Bird 3

1862 827 0

On website, click SAVE.

Conclusion
1. Explain how much the recent birds vary from the original birds after 1 million years of natural selection.
Discuss plumage color, body size and beak shape (length and curvature).
With the first bird in the first 500,000 years all that changed is the plumage which started off as light brown
but then changed to a light brown. With the northeast conditions the plumage changed to a dark
green(600,000) but this made the birds less fit for the environment, the body size also got smaller(700,000)
and this made them more fit and most of the population has it. In the northwest conditions the body size got
smaller(550,000) which made them more fit, their plumage also turned dark green(700,000) but this time it
made them more fit, the beak also got longer(750,000). In 850,000 the plumage changed to light green which
made the more fit, the last thing that changed is that their beak became more curved which also made them
more fit. With the southeast conditions the only change that happened was that their beak became longer
which in turn made them less fit and it lead to their extinction. So non of the birds have anything in common
with the original bird.

Now with the second bird its plumage started off as light green but then changed to dark green, then 50
years later it turned light green again. Their beak started off as curved but in 300,000 it became even more
curved but that made them a less fit. In the northeast conditions the only change that happened was that
their body became more large and it made them more fit for the envivonment and with the northwest
conditions nothing changed in bird #2 but it did die. In the southeast conditions the beak became
longer(550,000) and it made them more fit then in 700,000 the body became smaller and it made them less
fit for the environment. In 750,000 their plumage became light brown which actually made them less fit and
then in 800,000 the species died off.

With the third bird its body started off medium short and then it got larger, and then the beak was more
curved both of these made the bird less fit and then the plumage turned orange which didn’t affect the body
what so ever. In the northeast conditions the beak got longer(800,000) and it made them more fit for the
conditions. In the northwest conditions the beak became less curved(650,000) which in turn made them
more fit for the conditions, the beak also became shorter(800,000) and it made them more fit. Their body
also got smaller(900,000) which also made them more fit, it also made the beak longer(950,000) which made
the bird less fit for the conditions. In the southeast conditions the plumage turned light brown(550,000)
which made them a better fit, their beak also got shorter(650,000) and that made them less fit for the
conditions which in turn let them die in 900,000.

2. How does evolution explain the changes? Use the following terms or phrases in your explanation: natural
selection, random mutation, selection of favorable traits, reproduction, and genetic variation.

Evolution explains the changes because the birds kept changing. When it came to reproduction the better
random mutations that happened the more they would reproduce. And when it came to natural selection
the better traits stayed and then the population started to grow. Then there was also the traits that harmed
the birds and more likely to get attacked by predators like the color of their fur being orange or yellow. Also
when it came to traits the favorable selection of trait stayed and kept happening then there is genetic
variation. With all the birds in different areas there was a lot of variation like how the birds ended in different
colors or how much longer or shorter their beak was.