Natural Selection Lab Overview

Natural Selection Lab Overview

• Students will engage in a lab on natural selection, utilizing a simulation to gather data.
• The aim is to perform calculations based on the collected data, a process applicable across different datasets.

Simulation Details

• Simulation replicates a natural habitat, typically a grassy area with varying colors to reflect different grass conditions.
• Prey in this simulation are represented by toothpicks, available in four colors: natural, red, green, and black.
• Initial prey distribution includes 150 of each color, totaling 600 toothpicks across the habitat.

Prey Variation and Camouflage

• Prey variation affects visibility; some colors blend better into the environment, impacting predation rates.
• Predators (students) will catch prey based on how well they can camouflage against the habitat background.

Predator Population

• Student participants act as predators, each assigned a different mouth part representing predator phenotype: fork, spoon, forceps, tongue depressor, or chopstick.
• The effectiveness of each mouth part varies, influencing the success of prey capture.

Collection Process

• Students use their assigned mouth part to gather as much prey as possible within a 60-second timeframe.
• The process demonstrates the correlation between predation success and survival; more prey consumption leads to higher chances of survival and reproduction.

Experiment Setup

• Sixteen students participate, with varying distribution of mouth parts: five with spoons, five with tongue depressors, five with forceps, five with chopsticks, and six with forks.
• The simulation consists of four rounds of predation to evaluate the effectiveness of different phenotypes over time.

Learning Outcome

• The lab demonstrates key principles of natural selection, including adaptation, survival of the fittest, and the importance of phenotypes in predator-prey relationships.