Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
KEY Analysis Questions- Activity Part 1- Natural Selection 1. Which prey was most successful in avoiding capture? Why? The prey that was closest to the color of the background (paper) makes it camouflaged, and less easy to see in the short time period the predator has to hunt. 2. Which prey was least successful at survival? Why? The prey that is not the color of the background is easier to see and catch in a short time period. 3. Was there a difference in the success of the predator? If so, why do you think that happened? Subject to the actions of the predators, but students may report some were more aggressive in predation, or found it easier to catch prey than others. There may be small difference due to behavior or ability of the predators. 4. What does the steady reduction in foraging time represent? Predators that get less to eat become weaker and have less chance of competing for food. The reduced ability to obtain food is represented by the reduced time allowed to get food. This also shows that they are less competitive in foraging. 5. Were your predictions correct about which prey would be the most and the least successful? Explain why you predicted the way you did. Answers may vary depending on student’s predictions. Most probably the students will recognize that camouflaged prey will have the best chance of survival. 6. Explain why it is the phenotype not the genotype that natural selection is acting upon. Phenotype is the expression of the genotype. A predator reacts to the appearance of a prey, which is the phenotype. In natural selection the most “fit” has characteristics or traits that are expressed in some manner that can be acted upon. 7. What do you think will happen to the population of beans over many generations? Which traits (color) will survive in the population? Students will predict that the colored beans “prey” who survived the foraging will have the best chance to reproduced and pass on their genes to the next generation. Those that were less able to reproduce due to being eaten, will not be able to pass their genes to the next generation. Overtime the color that helps in camouflage will increase in the population and the color that does not help survival will be reduced in frequency. 8. Explain how the diversity of color in the prey population increased the chance of that species’ survival. A prey population of differing colors has a great chance of some of its members surviving by blending in with foliage backgrounds. The foliage backgrounds can be varied in color, and in seasons, so a variety of color increases the probability that some of the species will survive by camouflage. 9. Explain the following statement in terms of the prey data you obtained in this activity. “Overtime, natural selection results in changes in the inherited characteristics of a population. These changes increase a species fitness in its environment. “ Students will use their data to confirm that a prey species that is more “fit” will pass on its genes to the next generation. Data will also show that less “fit” species are not as able to pass on their genes to the next generation. The activity simulates the mechanism of natural selection (in the form of predation) selects for the most “fit” species leading to changes in the inherited characteristics or allele frequency in a population. 10. Let’s suppose a sudden mutation begins to show up in the predator population. Some birds now have spoon and knife shape beaks instead of fork shaped. Predict how this could change the survival success of some of the predators. Students will probably predict that a bird with a spoon beak has an increased ability to forage for prey and as a result will survive to pass on it’s genes in a higher rate than a fork beak, and most certainly a knife beak. The Knife beak will most probably have difficulty foraging for prey and less chance of survival. The mutation of a knife beak will not be an advantage in survival, but the spoon mutation may.