EH 2.7 (3/7) Version B

Last updated over 2 years ago

6 questions

Recall the Komodo dragon and the red-tailed boa from your Warm-Up. Compared to how different these species are, the two descendant species of ostrilopes you modeled in the Sim may seem quite similar.

Why do you think the Komodo dragon and the red-tailed boa are so much more different from each other compared to how different the two ostrilope populations are?
CFS:
student describes the relationship between anatomical similarities and differences in animal species
student describes the environmental difference between animal species with a common ancestor based on body structures

EH 2.7 (3/7) Version B

Last updated over 2 years ago

6 questions

Instructions:
Open Natural Selection Simulation and use the menu in the upper left corner to open the Exploring Species Change mode.
In BUILD, make changes to the environment that you think will cause ostrilopes to develop longer necks.
Press RUN and observe the results. Tip: Increase the speed to 4x.
If the ostrilopes die off or do not develop longer necks, return to BUILD and try again.

Natural Selection Simulation Investigation: Changes to Ostrilope Common Ancestor Population

A common ancestor population of ostrilopes was split into two separate populations: Population A and Population B.
Over 50 generations, Population A changed to have much longer necks.
Over 50 generations, Population B changed to have much stronger jaws.
You will model one of these populations in the Natural Selection Simulation to try to discover what environmental change could have caused the populations to change the way they did.
Reminders:
Ostrilopes with longer necks can reach and eat taller thornpalms.
Ostrilopes with stronger jaws can eat thornpalms with larger thorns.

Recall the Komodo dragon and the red-tailed boa from your Warm-Up. Compared to how different these species are, the two descendant species of ostrilopes you modeled in the Sim may seem quite similar.

Why do you think the Komodo dragon and the red-tailed boa are so much more different from each other compared to how different the two ostrilope populations are?
CFS:
student describes the relationship between anatomical similarities and differences in animal species
student describes the environmental difference between animal species with a common ancestor based on body structures

Since these two species share a common ancestor population, what do you think could have caused these differences between them?

(Hint: It might help to think about the environment each species is adapted to. You can find information about this in the Study Window text summaries for each species.)
CFS:
student describes the relationship between anatomical similarities and differences in animal species
student describes the environmental difference between animal species with a common ancestor based on body structures

Summarize one main idea from these activities. Use whichever words from the word bank help you explain your idea.

Word bank:
Common ancestor Evolution Shared Structure Descendant Species
Related Species body structure extinct

Record your main idea from today’s lesson below.
CFS:
student describes the relationship between anatomical similarities and differences in animal species
student describes the environmental difference between animal species with a common ancestor based on body structures

EH 2.7 (3/7) Version B

EH 2.7 (3/7) Version B

Record your graphs here:

Record your graphs here: