Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Last updated almost 2 years ago

8 questions

Instructions

0.5

2.5

Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Last updated almost 2 years 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)

0.5

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)

0.5

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)

0.5

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.

2.5

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.

Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Birds on an Island Activity Questions

Island 1 (Skittles)

Island 2 (Pretzels)

Island 3 (Gummy Worms)

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.

Island 1 (Skittles)

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

Island 2 (Pretzels)

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

Island 3 (Gummy Worms)

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

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.