Adam Scheetz

Feb 3, 2015
Melisa Schaefer

Survivor of the Fittest; Finch

Style
Natural Selection

Introduction:
In 1835 Charles Darwin spent about 19 days exploring the Galpagos
Islands. (2) In that time he noticed many animal. One of those animals was a
small bird called a finch. In his own words he stated "Unfortunately most of
the specimens of the finch tribe were mingled together; but I have strong
reasons to suspect that some of the species of the subgroup Geospiza are
confined to separate islands." It wasn't until 10 years later that a scientist
and bird enthusiast named David Lack spent more than five months in The
Galapagos Islands to study the birds. There he was able to study the birds
and identify the different types. (2) He then went on to write a book called
Darwin's Finches. This is where all the mix-up happens. Darwin was not the
one who discovered the significates in the different beaks of the finches,
David Lack was. Charles Darwin was still very important in his influenced and
for being the pioneer for David Lacks. After five months of being on the
Galpagos Islands David found that the finches showed the world a prime
example of natural selection and named it after Charles Darwin. (2)

Hypothesis:
-Initial HypothesisThe Finches with a large surface area beak (Binder clip, Chip clip, LG
hair clip) will increase in number while the finches with pointy, skinny beaks
(Tweezers, Chop sticks) will decrease in number.

-ExplanationI believe that the finches with a larger mouth will be able to grab a
hold of the seed better than the finches with a skinny sharp beak. Therefore
the finches with the large beak will be able to get more food causing the
Finches with the skinny beak to starve and die.

Materials:

10 of each: Tongs, Clothes pins, Chopsticks, Tweezers, Binder clip, Chip

clip, Large hair clip, Small hair clip.
A container to hold everything in.
A paper cup for each participant
Sun flower Seeds (they are small, you can buy them in bulk and
everyone is picking up the same size seed.)
Stop watch (to keep track of time)
* Depending on the size of the group you will need more or less of these
items. Here are the basics.

Method:
Step 1- Count the population of the class and divide the beaks out as
equal as possible so that each type of beak has the same amount of
people. (Example: 30 people, hand out 5 different types of beaks.
There should be 6 people with the same type of beak.)
Step 2- Hand each participant a paper cup to hold the seeds. (The cup
represented the birds stomach).
Step 3- Keep track of all the beak types and how many of each person
has that type of beak (on the data table) this is your starting point.
Step 4 Scatter seeds across the table so they are spread out and not
bunched up.
Steps 5- On the command GO each person has 60sec to pick up as
many seeds as possible with their designated beak. They can only pick
up 1 seed at a time and they have to pinch the seed not scoop it. They
have the full 60sec so if they run out of seed they can go scavenge
some where else.
Step 6- After the 60sec is up each person counts how many seeds
they have. The top 3 people that collected the most amounts of seeds
stand up and stand together in s designated spot. The bottom 3 People
who collected the leased amount of seeds go to a different designated
spot.
Step 7- The bottom 3 people have to trade their beaks in for one
similar to the top 3 people. After the bottom3 people trade out their
beaks, every one goes back to their seats.
Step 8- Make sure you add up and record the new population in each
beak group and then repeat Steps 4-8. (Five different rotations)

Results:
- Data Table-

Beak of the Finch

Beak Types
Tongs
Clothes pins
Chop stick
Binder clip
Tweezers
Chip clip
LG hair clip
Small hair
clip

-Graph-

Beginni
ng
#: 2
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:

Round 1
#: 2
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 3
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 7
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:

Round 2
#: 3
Freq:
#: 7
Freq:
#: 4
Freq:
#: 1
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 6
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:

Round 3
#: 3
Freq:
#: 8
Freq:
#: 3
Freq:
#: 1
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 6
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:

Round 4
#: 3
Freq:
#: 9
Freq:
#: 2
Freq:
#: 1
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 8
Freq:
#: 4
Freq:

Round 5
#: 3
Freq:
#: 10
Freq:
#: 1
Freq:
#: 1
Freq:
#: 5
Freq:
#: 9
Freq:
#: 3
Freq:

#: 1
Freq:

#: 1
Freq:

#: 0
Freq:

#: 0
Freq:

Summary of the Data-

In the beginning there was seven families of Finches. Each family had
about the same number of members in them. What made the families
different was each family had a different type of beak. As time passed (each
round) the family of finches that could collect more food survived (Clothes
pins, Chip clip) and grew in number while the family of finches that had
trouble collecting food (Chop stick, Binder clip) diminished. As you can tell by
the data there is 3 families of finches that stayed about the same (Tweezers,
Tongs, LG hair clip). During the middle of the round there was a mutation and
a new type of finch was created (Small hair clip). But as you could tell it
didnt last long and went extinct.

Conclusion:
-Reject HypothesisIn conclusion I have to reject my hypothesis. I have to reject
the hypothesis because the clothes pin beaks excelled while the
binder clip failed miserably. The thin tweezers stayed the same at
a constant 5. It had nothing to do with size of the beak but in all
actuality it had to do with how the beak was used, if it was easy
to open or close the beak. There are many factors that can cause

errors in this experiment. One of the main factors is the Person

holding the Beak. It really depends on that person attitude when
they are participating. Some people want to win at all cost; others
just want to get by, while other people just dont care if they get
any seeds. So the number of seed that are picked up will vary
throughout the same type of beak. Now if another researcher
does the same exacted experiment and comes up with the same
results then that validates your results and can become a strong
theory that can be test and challenged through time. But if the
other research comes up with way different results doesnt mean
you are wrong but that something wasnt same between the both
experiments. If you are continually proven wrong by other
researchers, you have to come to the reality that you are probably
wrong.
Discussion:
-The scientific methodThe scientific method is a method that is organized and
universal that helps people figure out the best conclusions. The
scientific method has 6 parts (Question/Purpose, Research,
Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis the Data and then the
Conclusion). Anthropology is not the only field that uses the
scientific method. Any professional field that has a question that
needs to be answered can use the scientific method. Geology,
Paleontology, Philology. Even in Engineering and Corn mazing!
(Corn mazing- the process of cutting and designing a corn maze)
If you follow the same steps it will eventually lead you to the
conclusion you are working for. This activity had us approach a
problem, and research it. Then come up with an educated guess
on what the outcome will be. After we came up with our
Hypothesis, we test it by doing the experiment. This lab is the
final piece of the Method by letting us analyze the data and come
to our conclusion, even if that conclusion was not the same as our
first guess.
-Evolution by Natural SelectionIn the struggle of existence, those individuals with favorable
variations would survive and reproduce, but those with

unfavorable variations would not. (1) There are five basic

underlying assumptions to this theory.
1. Struggle for existence Not everyone will survive to reproduce offspring
2. Variation Everyone is different and they have different traits
3. Differential survival and reproduction Individuals that are fit to their
environment have a better likely hood to survive and reproduce.
4. Inheritance When individuals reproduce they pass down some
characteristics to their off spring.
5. Time Time changes everything. If you let enough time pass then the
environment can change. (2)

This project defiantly supported the theory of natural selection

because the finches with the better beak survived and increased
in number while the beaks that were harder to use decreased in
number and were left with a few.
References:
1. Jurmain, R. (2013). Essentials of physical anthropology (9th ed.). Mason
Ohio: Cengage Learning.
2. http://biologos.org/blog/david-lack-and-darwins-finches
3. Darwin, Charles. Journal of researches into the natural history and geology of the
countries visited during the voyage of H.M.S. Beagle round the world. London: John
Murray. 2d ed. 1845: 379-80.

4. http://www.sciencemadesimple.com/scientific_method.html