Scientific Principles Discovered in This Activity: Analyze data from a computer investigation applying concepts of statistics and probability to explain why adaptations for reproductive isolation can help reinforce specialized adaptations for survival for different niches within different gene pools in a population. ![]() Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to understand how new species can form from old species through the mechanisms of evolution covered so far in the unit (mutation, genetic drift, changes in environmental conditions, and natural selection).Ĭonnection to previous activities: Students refer to the mechanisms of mutation (introduced in the last activity), genetic drift (from the activity before that), changes in environmental conditions and natural selection (from two previous activities), to develop the explanations for the outcomes in this activity. In this lesson you will explore some of that data to understand the processes underlying speciation and adaptive radiation. They recorded data on many traits including beak dimensions and weight. Gene flow between islands occurs with occasional immigrants depending on storms and the distance between islands.įor several decades, scientists have gone to the Galapagos islands to study the physical characteristics of the finches there. The ecology of the different islands influences which species live on each island, and especially which species co-exist on an island. Their mating behaviors, such as times and songs, differ greatly, maintaining the distinct species. In good times, they often eat the same foods, but in times of scarcity, each species has a specialized niche – large seeds, cactus fruits, etc. In the genus Geospiza, there are six species. There are four genera recognized in the group, and the species occupy overlapping but distinct ecological niches. The finches are proposed to have arrived on the volcanic islands from the South American mainland and are now considered part of the tanager family rather than the finch family. Let's watch a video developed by Howard Hughes Medical Institute based on data collected by Peter and Rosemary Grant, Princeton University. Darwin himself did not realize their role in explaining evolution until after ornithologists revealed the abundance of speciation to him. There are 13 species of finch on the islands, but they are at once both so similar and so diverse that they have provided a fertile ground for exploring evolution since Darwin’s 1835 visit. Let's start by watching a video developed by HHMI Biointeractive about this phenomenon. In the next few lessons we will investigate this case of pocket mice evolution using computational models. Researchers noticed that rock pocket mice with a dark fur coat were more common on the dark lava flows, whereas the mice with light colored fur coat were more common on the light-colored sand. dark-colored mice that live on black lava rock.light-colored mice that live on sandy soil.Today there are now two forms of pocket mice: Then, a series of volcanic eruptions spewed a river of black lava more than 40 miles long that wove right through the middle of pocket-mouse territory. Lava flows created huge patches of dark rock among the surrounding light-colored sand. This kept the mice hidden from their predators (mainly owls). Ancestral pocket mice had light-colored fur coats that blended in with the rocks and sandy soil that was prevalent in the region. The American Southwest is a fantastic place to study rock pocket mice with different fur coat colors. We will focus on four computational thinking practices: data practices, modeling and simulation practices, computational problem solving practices, and systems thinking practices. ![]() We will learn how to engage computational thinking practices.We will learn how to engage in the scientific inquiry practices of constructing knowledge.In this lesson, we will use a NetLogo model about Forest Fires to learn about how to computationally study a scientific phenomenon.This means that the shape of a flock is emergent and not directed by any particular leader bird. However, flocks actually emerge from each bird following a simple set of rules regarding alignment, coherence and separation with neighboring birds. ![]() In a flock of birds, most people assume that the "head" bird is a leader of the flock. Emergent phenomena are ones in which simple interactions between agents and their environment result in complex patterns. Ffor example, a flock of birds (see below). This lesson specifically focuses on learning science with computational models of emergent natural phenomena. Several lessons in this curriculum use computational models designed using a piece of software called NetLogo. In this lesson, we will try to understand what these models are and how to use them.
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