Evolution P2 - 10/8/17

Image result for natural selection

Summary:
Natural Selection is when organisms who are better adapted to fit their surrounding conditions outlive those who aren't and pass down their genes. Out of the five fingers of evolution, natural selection is the only one that can cause adaptations. The idea of natural selection was first proposed by Charles Darwin, who stated that nature could determine which organisms survive and which don't. He traveled on the HMS Beagle and he made important discoveries through South America and wrote a famous book called, the Origin of Species. Darwin saw that birds on different islands acted the same, but looked different. Finches in different environments adapted to have a type of beak that suits their specific environmental so they can eat the food in their environment, he observed. Which sparked Darwin's theory of Natural Selection.

S&EP-Using Models:
We used a model to show how different species and animals can adapt to certain environments. We tried to use different materials to represent the beaks of birds and pick up the "food" they would eat. This demonstrated how different environments can affect the birds. Some tools were much better at certain things than others. For instance, the scissors were extremely good at picking up worms (represented by rubber bands). So if the environment consisted of mostly worms, the birds with that type of beak would survive the best. In another case, the toothpicks were terrible at picking up fish (marshmallows). So, they would have all died off if there were only fish in their environment.

XCC - Cause and Effect:
The peppered moths is great example of natural selection and cause in effect. Before the industrial revolution, there were many white moths around. Then the industrial revolution hit, and the trees became black and covered in soot. Which sparked the rise of black peppered moths. Then after 50 years of so, the pollution declined and as the trees became white again, white moths became more popular. This story of the peppered moths is a perfect example of how an environment can determine who lives and dies and how natural selection can come into play. This is also a perfect representation of cause and effect, as when one thing happens, such as the change in color of trees, it causes other things to occur. Natural Selection has brought human's to where they are today, but can also be applied to something as small as a moth.

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