Classwork:

Evolution and Natural Selection

Group __405__Name __Fernando Garcia Arelllano_______Rodrigo Eugenio Diaz _____
A01194533_____A01194425______
Introduction
Different individuals in a population have different characteristics. This is known as variation.
Some of the variations in characteristics can be inherited by a parents offspring; and they are
called heritable characteristics. Some characteristics make individuals better at surviving and
reproducing than others. Fitness refers to the ability to survive and produce offspring that are
capable of reproducing. The specific characteristics that contribute to fitness will differ in
different environments.

A characteristic that increases an individuals fitness is called an adaptation. Notice that
biologists use the terms adaptation and fitness to have different meanings other than the
common meanings of these words in everyday language. Living things that are well adapted
to their environment survive and reproduce, while those that are not well adapted do not. An
adaptation is considered any characteristic that increases fitness, which is the ability to
survive and reproduce.

Heritable adaptive characteristics become more common in a population over many
generations. This process is called evolution by natural selection. Evolution by natural
selection is a gradual process that takes place over many, many generations. Evolution by
natural selection results in changes in the frequency of characteristics and alleles or genes
within a population, and not changes in an individual.

Which characteristics are adaptive and how a population evolves depends on what kind of
environment the population is in. The same population will evolve differently if placed in a
different environment. Organisms are not evolving to some pre-ordained perfection but are
evolving to maximum fitness in a given environment.

Instuctions:
1. Study figures 1- 3 below, then answer the questions using these figures:

a) Is the population of mice found in figure 1 different that the population of mice found
in figure 3? Explain why.
Yes, in figure 1, there are white mice and black mice, and in figure 2 there are only
black mice.

b) What characteristic of the mice is an adaptation that increased their fitness?
Camouflage.

2. Using your observation of figures 1-3, apply the scientific method to do the following
a) Write an investigation problem: Does the color of the mice affect the population
size?
b) State your hypothesis: If the mince cant camouflage, the population would
decrease.
c) Define the variables:
a. Independent: Differences in color.
b. Dependent: Population size
c. Controlled: The color of the soil.

3. The table below gives descriptions of four female mice that live on a beach that is mostly
tan sand with scattered plants: Using the table above, answer the following questions:
Fur color

black

tan

Tan and black

cream

Age of death

2 months

8 months

4 months

2 months

# of pups
produced by
each female

11

Running speed

8 cm/sec.

6 cm/sec.

7 cm/sec.

5cm/sec

a) According to the definition of fitness, which mouse would biologists consider the
fittest? Explain why.
The black mice, because they are the ones with more adaptive characteristics.


2

b) If the mouses fur color is generally similar to its mothers color, what color fur would
be most common among the pups?
Tan color.

4. Below is a series of pictures representing changes in a population of cacti. Pictures 1 and 2
show what happened when a deer came to eat, picture 3 shows the cacti a few weeks
later (notice the flowers on the right-hand cactus), and picture 4 shows the situation a few
months later. Use these pictures to answer the following questions:

a) One characteristic that is necessary for natural selection to take place is variation in
characteristics within the population. In picture 1, what is the main difference
between the cactus on the left and the cactus on the right?
That the cactus at the right has thorns, and this is an adaptive characteristic.


b) Another characteristic necessary for natural selection to take place is differences in
survival and reproduction fitness. Why would a deer be more likely to eat the cactus
on the left than the cactus on the right?
Because if the deer tries to eat from de right cactus, it will hurt itself.


3

c) What effect does the deers behavior have on the survival and reproduction of these
two types of cactus?
The deer behavior is trying to find save food.

Another characteristic necessary for natural selection to take place is the heritability of
characteristics from parent to offspring. The difference between the cacti is a heritable
characteristic (see picture 4). Do you think that evolution by natural selection is occurring in
this population? Explain why or why not.
Yes, becuase as it is a heritable characteristic, it will be spreading through every cacti.


Evaluation

Criteria

Interpretation of
figures 1-3

All questions
related to the
figures were
answered correctly.

All questions
related to the
figures were
answered, but some
of them were not
answered correctly.

All questions
related to the
figures were
answered, but none
of them were
answered correctly.

Steps in the
scientific method

The investigation
problem,
hypothesis and
variables were all
correct and were
appropriate for the
information given
in the figures.

The investigation
problem,
hypothesis and
variables had some
mistakes, but were
appropriate for the
information given
in the figures.

The investigation
problem,
hypothesis and
variables had some
mistakes, and were
not appropriate for
the information
given in the figures.

Data interpretation

Both questions
pertaining to the
data chart were
answered correctly

One of the
questions
pertaining to the
data chart was

None of the
questions
pertaining to the
data chart were

answered correctly. answered correctly.

Understanding the
conditions
necessary for
natural selection to
take place

All questions
pertaining to
natural selection
were answered
correctly.

Some of the
questions
pertaining to
natural selection
were answered
correctly.

None of the
questions
pertaining to
natural selection
were answered
correctly.

Team work

The team members

worked together to
do the activity.
They turned it in on
time.

The team members

worked together to
do the activity.
They didnt turn it
in on time.

The team members

didnt work
together to do the
activity. They
didnt turn it in on
time.