Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Last updated over 1 year ago

8 questions

Instructions

Please do not start this until we discuss it in class. Remember, you can discuss this as a group but everyone should submit their own answers.

Here are some quick vocab words that might be helpful to know:
Fitness – an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce (more surviving offspring = fitter)
Adaptations – traits that are favorable in a specific environment (random and formed by mutations from generation to generation)
Natural Selection – when an organism has more offspring because of a favored genetic trait
Evolution – a change in trait/allele frequency over time

0.5

2.5

Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Last updated over 1 year ago

8 questions

Instructions

Please do not start this until we discuss it in class. Remember, you can discuss this as a group but everyone should submit their own answers.

Here are some quick vocab words that might be helpful to know:
Fitness – an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce (more surviving offspring = fitter)
Adaptations – traits that are favorable in a specific environment (random and formed by mutations from generation to generation)
Natural Selection – when an organism has more offspring because of a favored genetic trait
Evolution – a change in trait/allele frequency over time

Island 1 (Skittles)

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Which birds were the most fit (likely to survive and reproduce) on Island 1 (skittles)?

Explain why one beak was most favored and why others were less favored on this island (don't overthink this - you're just talking about the shape of utensils and food! You can just write a sentence or two!). Use the term fit/fitness/fitter and adapt/adapted/adaptation in your answer (scroll to the top to see the definitions).

Island 2 (Pretzels)

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Which birds were the most fit (likely to survive and reproduce) on Island 2 (pretzels)?

Explain why one beak was most favored and why others were less favored on this island (don't overthink this - you're just talking about the shape of utensils and food! You can just write a sentence or two!). Use the term fit/fitness/fitter and adapt/adapted/adaptation in your answer (scroll to the top to see the definitions).

Island 3 (Gummy Worms)

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Which birds were the most fit (likely to survive and reproduce) on Island 3 (gummy worms)?

Explain why one beak was most favored and why others were less favored on this island (don't overthink this - you're just talking about the shape of utensils and food! You can just write a sentence or two!). Use the term fit/fitness/fitter and adapt/adapted/adaptation in your answer (scroll to the top to see the definitions).

To finish - here are some short answer questions to reflect on the activity as a whole. You should use the vocabulary from the top (fitness, natural selection, adaptation, and evolution) in your answers. You don't have to use all 4 in every answer, but you should use them all at some point.

Suppose we began our competition for food with a population in which everyone had exactly the same beak. For example that on the skittles island every bird had started with a “fork” beak. Describe why natural selection might not occur on this island.

Note: The only way for a new beak to arise is if there is a random mutation that would lead to a new beak and this takes time. These mutations won't happen just because you "need" them to happen.

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Suppose we began our competition for food with a population in which there was an equal number of birds with fork/knife/spoon beaks. There is also enough food for all of the birds (plenty of pretzels, skittles, and worms). Describe why natural selection might not occur on this island.