Gideon Cole Daniel Sydney Generation Coin Flip Die Throw Measurements of most successful offspring Anterior Wing

-Width 2cm -Circumference 20cm Posterior wing -width 2cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 3cm Anterior Wing -Width 2cm -Circumference 20cm Posterior wing -width 2cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 2cm -from back 3cm Anterior Wing -Width 2 -Circumference 20 Posterior wing -width 3 -circumference 22 Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 2cm Anterior Wing -Width 2 -Circumference 20 Posterior wing -width 3 -circumference 22 Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 2cm Distance Flown

Parental

Not applicable (Tails)

Not applicable (3)

11 feet

1st gen

Heads or tails Heads

1-6 - 1

12 feet

2nd gen

Heads of tails Tails

1-6 - 1

17 feet

3rd

Heads of tails tails

1-6 -1 The second gen won.

18 feet

Gideon Cole Daniel Sydney 4th gen Heads or Tails tails 1-6 1 The second one, won again. Anterior Wing -Width 2 -Circumference 20cm Posterior wing -width 3cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 2cm Anterior Wing -Width 2cm -Circumference 20cm Posterior wing -width 2cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 3cm Anterior Wing -Width 2cm -Circumference 20cm Posterior wing -width 2cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 3cm -from back 2cm Anterior Wing -Width 1cm -Circumference 22cm Posterior wing -width 3cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 4 -from back 2cm 23 feet

5th gen

Heads or tails tails

1-6 The second one, won again.

17 feet

6th gen

Heads or tails tails

1-6 -1

25 feet.

7th gen

Heads or tails heads

1-6 4

27 feet

Gideon Cole Daniel Sydney 8th gen Heads 1-6 4 Anterior Wing -Width 1cm -Circumference 22cm Posterior wing -width 3cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 4 -from back 2cm Anterior Wing -Width 1cm -Circumference 22cm Posterior wing -width 3cm -circumference 22cm Anterior wing position -from front 4cm -from back 1cm 22 feet.

9th gen

tails

1-6 1

17 feet.

1. In what ways does this activity effectively model natural selection in nature? The parents were not the most successful fliers. But as evolution progressed and efficient fliers were rewarded with offspring, the birds became better and better fliers, just as natural selection works. It simulates mutation because we expanded on the birds that flew well 2. In what ways does this activity fail to model natural selection in nature (i.e. what are the activities limitations)? It is limited because it is not environmental pressures that force the animals to change; it is a random roll of the dice. To some extent natural selection is random, like DNA and mutations. But there are some aspects of natural selection that this not covered by this activity. Things like mating, creating a lot of offspring and predators.

3. Why does your "best" bird not match the best bird from other groups even though the same selection criteria are being applied to them? Because the measurements would not all be exactly the same, the loops be a bit off center, slightly bigger, smaller or closer together. Even with a ruler the measurements will not be the same. Also the way the people threw the bird will affect the flight.

Gideon Cole Daniel Sydney 4. Why are the coin flips and die rolls only ever able to make small changes to the bird (i.e. why not make the activity have random options that would have made even bigger differences)? Because in nature, natural selection takes place over thousands/millions of years, if the changes were bigger it would not have followed this principle and would not be accurate to real life. 5. Identify the selection pressure and selecting agent in this activity. The selecting agent is the ability to fly long distances, and the selecting pressure is the need to live between oases for food and water. The rolling of the dice