Natural Selection Simulation Evolution of the Pepper Moth

Question: Under what conditions does natural selection occur? Knowledge Probe: The Theory of Natural Selection, as put forth by Charles Darwin, suggests that those individuals which possess superior physical, behavioral, or other attributes are ore li!ely to survive than those which are not so well endowed"# Those organis s, which survive, are ore li!ely to produce offspring with the sa e advantages for survival thus increasing the population of the organis " $ne e%a ple of such an advantage is ca ouflage" The ter ca ouflage is derived fro the &rench word ca oufler# which eans to as'uerade or conceal by disguise" There are any e%a ples in nature where organis s rely on ca ouflage for protection against predators" Cha eleons are !nown for their ability to alter their s!in color so as to blend in with the environ ent" This provides protection against predators" The ilitary fre'uently dresses its e bers in clothing that enables the to blend with the environ ent and beco e less visible to ene ies" The case of the peppered oth in (anchester, )ngland is a well*docu ented study de onstrating the value of ca ouflage in Natural Selection and the continuing process of evolution" This case involves two for s of the sa e organis , a white*colored for and a blac! colored for " Until appro%i ately +,-. the blac! oths were considered rare, and were sought after by collectors" The first blac! oth was not captured until +,/," The white oths were protected by their ability to blend with the light*colored lichens, which lived on the bar! of trees" The blac! oths were visible against the light bac!ground and therefore ore susceptible to being eaten by birds" Conse'uently, the blac! variety did not have as great a chance to reproduce and increase their nu bers" During the later part of the +0 th century 1as the 2ndustrial 3evolution began4, s o!e particles produced by developing industry began to gradually blac!en the trun!s of trees on which the oths rested" This change in the environ ent caused white oths to beco e ore visible and ore li!ely to be eaten by birds, while the blac! oths were better ca ouflaged" 5y +0.. the blac! peppered oth out nu bered the light spec!led variety by 00 to +" This situation led to a decrease in population of white oths while the blac! oths were better able to breed and therefore increase in nu ber" 2n a survey conducted near one industrial town between +0-6 and +07/, not one light spec!led oth was found" 8owever, an has interceded in nature9s evolution" :ith the passage of s o!e control laws in )ngland in the +0-.9s, the landscape is beco ing cleaner" The cleaner trees thus provide a lighter and safer resting place for any surviving light spec!led oths" During +077 to +070, a survey in the sa e town as above showed that of 0;6 speci ens collected, 6- were of the light spec!led variety, a clear indication that the peppered oth is again in the process of changing its color" 8u an beings are responsible for the environ ental changes, but the changes in peppered oth populations are an e%cellent e%a ple of natural selection and evolution in action" +4 64 <4 /4 :hat is the theory of Natural Selection? 8ow do ani als use ca ouflage? :hich oth was rare before +,-.? :hy? :hy did the color of the population of oth change? 2nclude a description of how their environ ent has changed" -4 8ow did the =epper (oth population nu bers change fro +0.. to +0-.9s to +070? 1Use actual nu bers"4 74 :hat do these changes ean for the future =epper (oth =opulations? Investigation Plan: + Dar! tree bar!# -0 (oths in the following ratio ,6 s'uares in the following ratio + green field# :hite < / ?# @# +.

+. +# +;

++ + A# +,

>ray +. + ?# +;

5lac! ; / + @# +. < 6# -

Bou will wor! with a partner ta!ing turns to be the ti er and the bird 5lac! bar! )nviron ent +4 =lace the set of oths into the tray and stir the to spread the out" 64 :hile loo!ing in the tray have one student 'uic!ly select out +. oths one at a ti e and set the <4 :ith the re aining oths arrange the fro white to increasingly dar!er until you get to blac!" /4 3ecord the nu ber of each color that re ains in the tray on your data table and on the board"

aside"

>reen &ield )nviron ent +4 =lace a set of s'uares into the tray and stir the to spread the out" 64 :hile loo!ing in the tray have one student 'uic!ly select out +. s'uares one at a ti e and set the aside" <4 :ith the re aining s'uares arrange the fro s allest to largest in siCe" /4 3ecord the nu ber of each siCe s'uare that re ains in the tray on your data table and on the board" Observations: copy the data tables below in your notes Black Bark Environment C$D$3 :hite >rey >roup 3esults Class Everage Green Field Environment S2F) ?# >roup 3esults Class Everage

5lac!

@#

+#

+ A#

+ ?#

+ @#

6#

ata !nal"sis: +" (a!e a graph of the blac! bar! environ ent with two lines on it" $ne for the original population and one for the new population after selection has occurred using the class averages" 5e sure to include all titles and labels on the graph" 6" (a!e a graph of the green field environ ent with two lines on it" $ne for the original population and one for the new population after selection has occurred using the class averages" 5e sure to include all titles and labels on the graph" <" Enswer all 'uestions on your assign ent sheet" !pplication: +" Using your own words, e%plain how Natural Selection relates to the Survival of the &ittest# concept" 6" Dist 6 other defense syste s other than ca ouflage, which organis s have" <" 5ased on your data and your graph what trend do you notice with the color of re oved? :hat type of selection is this and why? /" 5ased on your data and your graph what trend do you notice with the color of re oved? :hat type of selection is this and why -" Does the shape of y our graph change fro oths after ten have been oths after ten have been

the original population to the new population? :hy or :hy not?

7" 5ased on your data and graph describe why you saw the change that you did in your population" 8ow does this support or refute Natural Selection? ;" Describe how your graph would loo! if the over several years" oths that re ained were to reproduce and the selection continued oth population and why? oths as the effects of the industrial

," :hat would happen as the industrial revolution progressed to the

0" Describe how your graph would loo! if you were to collect sa ples of revolution are reversed" )%plain how this shows natural selection"

+." Use the concept of Natural Selection to e%plain how the giraffe got its long nec! when there is fossil evidence that they share a co on ancestor with a deer li!e ani al"