Download Speciation in Pollenpeepers

Evolution - Speciation in Pollenpeepers
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The Honeycreepers are real birds found on the Hawaiian Islands. Notice that there
are many different species of Honeycreepers – each adapted to the different habitats on the
different Hawaiian Islands.
Go to the PBS website: www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/darwin/origin/index.html
Darwin > An Origin of Species
Upon close examination and molecular analysis, what can be determined about the
Honeycreepers?
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Click on – Explore what Darwin called “the mystery of mysteries.” The Pollenpeepers are a
fictitious bird modeled after the Honeycreepers. We are going to explore the adaptive
radiation of the Pollenpeepers.
What event caused the Pollenpeepers to find themselves in a new environment?
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As we begin to investigate the evolution through time of the Pollenpeepers on their new island
homes, consider some important factors that drive evolution. Read the following information
carefully and then select the best answers below.
 Habitat: If the habitat changes or an organism is dropped into a new environment, you
can expect evolutionary change. New habitats are ripe with opportunity because they
are unoccupied and free for the taking to any species able to use them.
 Food: Where food sources are diverse and plentiful, species can afford to eat a wide
variety of foods. When food availability is reduced, it exerts intense pressure on a
population, which collectively must find new food resources. Individuals’ best adapted
for utilizing the resources that are available gain an advantage over others in the
population.
 Competition: Competition may lead to divergence. Populations often diverge physically
or behaviorally. They can then exist in the same area because they will use different
resources. Sometimes, organisms move to a different location to reduce competition.
If one of these two things do not happen, the less fit species will die.
 Predators: Predators place limitations on their prey by restricting their movements
and forcing populations to evolve defense strategies. When you take away predation
pressures, you eliminate many limitations on how a species can evolve. In the absence
of predators, novel traits can develop freely and persist, if they offer advantages to
their owners.
1. If the environment changed, organisms in the population would probably
a. stay the same
b. change
2. If a NEW habitat formed, the population would probably
a. stay the same
b. increase
c. decrease
3. If the amount or type of food decreased how would this affect competition?
a. stay the same
b. increase
c. decrease
4. When two species compete for the same resources, what will probably happen over time
to decrease this competitive pressure?
a. one species will move to a new location
b. the ones that aren’t well adapted will die
c. organisms will change
d. all the above are true
5. If the number of predators decreased suddenly, how would this effect the prey
population?
a. it would decrease in number
b. it would stay the same
c. organisms in the prey population would change/increase
THE MAINLAND
5 million years ago
6. At this time, the Pollenpeepers feed primarily on seeds and therefore have beaks that are
a. long and straight
b. long and curved
c. short and wide
4 million years ago
7. What happens to keep competition low during this time?
a. one group changed
b. some moved
c. the peeper range expanded
8. Which of the following accurately describes the NORTH mainland?
a. dry and hot with abundant seeds
b. dry and hot with lots of insects
c. wet and warm with abundant seeds
d. wet and lush with lots of insects
9. Which of the following accurately describes the SOUTH mainland?
a. dry and hot with abundant seeds
b. dry and hot with lots of insects
c. wet and warm with abundant seeds
d. wet and lush with lots of insects
3 million years ago
10. Which birds have slightly longer beaks and are a little bit redder(look at the pics along
the left margin)!
a. birds in the North
b. birds in the South
2 million years ago
11. How does the habitat of the SOUTH change?
a. becomes more dry
b. becomes more wet
12. What effect does this have on food resources in the SOUTH (are there any flowers yet)?
a. more seeds
b. more insects
c. more flower nectar
1 million years ago
13. Which peepers group is NOT well suited for the changing environment?
a. Windsor island immigrants
b. northern birds c. southern birds
14. Grasses (and therefore their seeds)
a. decrease in number
b. increase in number
15. Which group will become extinct?
a. ones with longer, narrower beaks
b. ones with shorter, wider beaks
WINDSOR ISLAND
5 million years ago
16. In comparison to the mainland, Windsor
Island
a. receives more rainfall and is
therefore more lush
b. receives less rainfall and is
therefore more dry
c. is colder
17. What food source is most plentiful?
a. seeds
b. flowers
c. insects
4 - 2 million years ago
18. At first competition is low, but 4 mya
what event occurs that causes an
increase in competition?
a. the arrival of predators
b. the arrival of two new species
of finch
c. a decrease in food supply
1 million years ago
19. The new immigrants
a. have slightly larger, broader
beaks
b. have a wider wing span
c. have green coloration
d. have slightly longer, narrower
beaks
20. Why is this a good adaptation?
a. they can get food easier
b. they are better camouflaged
c. they can fly away from
predators faster
21. What is happening to seed producing
grasses during this time?
a. increasing
b. decreasing
22. How does that effect competition for
food sources?
a. increases
b. decreases
Presently
23. There are more Pollenpeepers with
a. long, narrow beaks to get
insects easier
b. short, broad beaks to crack
seeds easier
24. From 5 mya to 3 mya, how do the
Pollenpeepers change in coloration?
a. their heads become more green
b. their heads become more red
c. their body becomes red
NORCROSS ISLAND
5 million years ago
25. Which of the following factors did NOT have an effect on the Pollenpeeper population
on Norcross Island?
a. competition
c. habitat
b. food
d. predators
26. Norcross Island has two environments
a. coastal habitat and a high mountain cloud forest
b. coastal habitat and a wet, marshy bog
c. desert habitat and a high mountain cloud forest
27. What is the primary food source on this island?
a. seeds
b. flower
c. insect
nectar
4 million years ago
28. What caused some of the Pollenpeepers to move inland?
a. predators
b. competition
c. change of environment
3 million years ago
29. The inland population of peepers becomes isolated from the coastal peepers based on
a. coloration
b. location and habitat
c. food source
30. What food source is more abundant inland than on the coast?
a. seeds
b. flower nectar
c. insects
d. flower nectar and insects
2 million years ago
31. What physical changes are seen in the birds inland?
a. blue coloration
c. curved beak
b. longer beak
d. all of these
Presently
32. The new group lives in
a. dense forest
c. desert
b. open meadow
d. bog
WARWICK ARCHIPELAGO
5 million years ago
33. The North side of the island has a habitat of
a. lush and wet with lots of rainfall
b. desert-like with little rainfall
34..What is the most abundant food source at this time?
a.seeds
b. insects
c. nectar flowers
35.Predator pressure is
a.low
b. high
36. Competition pressure is
a.low
b. high
4 million years ago
37. During this time, which of the following is occurring?
a.Predator pressures increase
b.coloration changes
c. flowers become the dominant food source
d. populations grow and spread out
3 million years ago
38. One group becomes geographically isolated
a. in the mountains
b. on another smaller island of the archipelago
c. on the North side of the island
d. on the South side of the island
39. Which of the following is true of this new area?
a. it is drier and has more seed plants
b. it is wetter and cooler with lots of nectar flowers
c. it is wetter and warmer and has plentiful insects
2 million years ago
Populations diversify rapidly in response to new conditions on each of the islands.
Matching.
40. Have beaks specialized for getting insects out of
trees, feet and tails allow them to cling to trees while
getting insects, dark bodies with white wing patches,
males have red head crest.
41. Have short, wide beaks for eating seeds, drab
bodies, males have muted reddish breast.
42 .Have short, wide beaks for eating seeds,
red/yellow/black coloring.
43. Have longer, narrower beaks to get insects from
inside flowers and flower nectar, males have green
coloration (look at the feathers).
a) Coastal
b) Desert
c) Lowland
Forest
d) Alpine
Forest
1 million years ago
44. The coastal population and the desert population
a. both eat primarily insects
b. both eat primarily flowers
c. have long, narrow beaks
d. differ in terms of coloration
45. The alpine forest and lowland forest Pollenpeepers
a. feed primarily on flower nectar
b. both have long beaks
c. feed primarily on seeds
d. are drab in coloration
46. Which of the following is true?
a. The lowland forest birds eat mostly beetle larvae and
moths.
b. The lowland birds are iridescent green.
c. The alpine birds become darker with white wing patches
and male red.
47. The range of the lowland forest Pollenpeepers shifts upwards towards
the range of the alpine forest Pollenpeepers. Which of the following is
true?
a. the lowland forest and alpine forest peepers interbreed
b. climate change causes shrubs from the lowlands to extend
into the mountains
c. competition decreases between the two groups
Presently
48. How many distinct populations (separated by islands) of Pollenpeepers
are in the archipelago?
a.3
b. 4
c. 6
d. 10
49. How have the alpine birds responded to the competition by the lowland
birds?
a. developed extremely long, down-curved beaks to get
nectar from deep flowers
b. become more brightly colored
c. beaks became more pointy to catch more insects
50. What food do the lowland peeps eat that the alpine birds do not eat(look
at their beaks)?
a.
seeds
b. insects
c. nectar