Download Rabbit Gene Pool Natural Selection Lab 2016

Name______________________________________________________Per____________________Date___________
Rabbit Gene Pool Natural Selection Lab 2016
OBJECTIVE: Model natural selection in a population of different colored rabbits while
reviewing concepts of genotype and phenotype.
COVER SHEET:
5 pts
ASK A QUESTION: What is the result of natural selection in different colored rabbits in a forest
environment?
5 pts
BACKGROUND: _______________________________________________________
5 pts
HYPOTHESIS: _________________________________________________________
5 pts
MATERIALS AND METHODS: brown and white beans, paper bag, plastic cup, pencil and
worksheet packet
20 pts
Review of genetics terms from 7th Grade Science
Genotype = the genetic information inherited from parents expressed in a pair of letters such as BB, Bb, bb
Phenotype = the outward expression of a genotype, such as brown, gray or white fur on a rabbit
Homozygous = a purebred genotype with two of the same genes such as BB or bb
Heterozygous = a hybrid genotype with two different genes such as Bb
Genotype Key
brown bean = B = gene for brown fur
white Bean = b = gene for white fur
Phenotype Key
BB = brown fur
Bb = gray fur
bb = white fur
First Generation Rabbits (No Natural Selection)
1. Count and place 10 brown beans and 10 white beans into the bag. This represents the
offspring (babies) of two gray rabbits (Bb fur color for both parents).
2. Without looking into the bag, choose two beans to represent the two genes that babies get
from their parents and place beans together on the table in front of you. DO NOT put the
beans back in the bag.
3. Record the two-letter genotype (BB, Bb or bb) of the beans on the first chart. Record the
phenotype (brown, gray or white) for fur color in the next column.
4. Continue choosing the beans out of the bag two at a time until all beans are removed.
Tally the number of each type of rabbit in the table and record on the chart.
Name______________________________________________________Per____________________Date___________
COLLECT DATA: DATA CHARTS
25 pts
First Generation Rabbits
(no natural selection)
Rabbit
#
Genotype of
fur color
gene (BB,
Bb, or bb)
Second Generation Rabbits
(after natural selection)
Phenotype fur color
gene
(brown, gray or
white)
Rabbit
#
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
4
5
6
5
7
8
6
9
7
10
11
8
12
13
9
14
10
15
16
17
18
Tally of Rabbits with each fur color
Number of
Offspring
with each Fur
Color
First Generation
(no natural
selection)
Second
Generation
(after natural
selection)
Brown
(BB)
Gray
(Bb)
White
(bb)
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Genotype of
fur color
gene
(BB, Bb, or
bb)
Phenotype fur color gene
(brown, gray or white)
Name______________________________________________________Per____________________Date___________
Second Generation Rabbits (After Natural Selection)
To model natural selection, this will be a forest environment, like the woods behind the
field here at CMS.
1. You should assume that predators eat all of the white rabbits, and one half of the gray
rabbits. To show this, remove the beans representing these “rabbits” from the current
gene pool. Put the beans from these dead “rabbits” into the predator cup.
2. Place the remaining “surviving” rabbits into the Rabbit Gene Pool bag.
3. Now we will assume that each surviving brown rabbit from the First Generation has
babies. Place 14 brown beans into the Rabbit Gene Pool bag.
4. Now we will assume that each surviving gray rabbit from the First Generation has babies.
Place 7 brown beans and 7 white beans into Rabbit Gene Pool bag.
5. Repeat steps 2, 3, and 4 (on the first page!) and use the second chart to record the Second
Generation rabbits. *You may not need all 30 lines, depending upon your First Generation
rabbits.
6. Tally your results and add to the tally chart for Second Generation rabbits.
Name______________________________________________________Per____________________Date___________
DISCUSSION
MODELING:
5 pts
1. What does each bean represent? _______________________________________________________
2. What does a pair of beans represent? ____________________________________________________
3. What do all the beans in the bag represent? _______________________________________________
SUMMARIZING DATA:
10 pts
4. How did the rabbit gene pool change from the First Generation to the Second Generation?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
5. What happened to the percentage of white rabbits after natural selection occurred?
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. What happened to the percentage of brown rabbits after natural selection occurred?
____________________________________________________________________________________
MAKING INFERENCES:
10 pts
7. If this type of natural selection continues, will the white rabbit gene ever completely die out? _______
Explain your answer. __________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
8. How is this model similar to the way natural selection occurs in nature? _________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
9. How is this model UNLIKE the way natural selection occurs in nature? ___________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
FINAL CONCLUSION/ NEW QUESTIONS:
10 pts
10. Think about how the environment may change, and how those changes could affect natural selection
in this population of rabbits. Explain your answer here.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
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Name______________________________________________________Per____________________Date___________