Evolution by Means of Natural Selection

Activity 2

Presented to

WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

Bachelor of Science in Biology 1A

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for Evolutionary Biology Laboratory

Presented By:

Banag, Mc Adrienne Rey K.

Baya, Julius Ian A.

Eloc. Arriane Mae J.

Gregorio, Dona-Mae E.

Mejorada, Mykgell Phrey P.

Otoalih, Nursaifa J.

Ms. Myrtle Ayn E. Peñaredondo

BIO 180 LAB INSTRUCTOE

March 17, 2021

 I. INTRODUCTION

A species may be defined as a group of similar organisms within which there is gene flow (i.e., which can
interbreed in nature to produce fertile, viable offspring). Members of different species are
reproductively isolated from each other: they cannot breed together to produce fertile, viable offspring.
This reproductive isolation may be a result of various mechanisms, some of which prevent zygote
formation (prezygotic isolating mechanisms) and others preventing hybrid offspring from surviving or
reproducing (postzygotic isolating mechanisms).

A population is all individuals of a single species living within a defined area. The area's boundaries
may be geographic, or they may be defined arbitrarily by the investigator studying the population. A
community is all the populations of living organisms living within a defined area, and the ecosystem is
defined by the interactions of the living communities with one another and with the inorganic
environment, including water, air, climate, seasons and the earth itself. Evolution can proceed gradually,
consisting of genetic changes within a population without the generation of new species
(microevolution). Eventually, if some members of a population change to the degree that they are able
to interbreed only with each other, and no longer with the other members of their original population,
speciation (macroevolution) has occurred.

True speciation may take millennia, but we can observe microevolutionary changes in populations via
natural selection with a simple exercise. We will examine the results of interaction between prey species
(Beanus spp.) and a predator species (modified Homo sapiens, played by you). In real life, natural selection
isn't much fun if you're the loser. But today's demonstration should be fun, even if some of us will "go
extinct." You and your colleagues will become predators each with a different type of mouthpart. Your
prey will be four different types of beans of various colors and sizes. Natural selection, often a double-
edged sword, will act on both predator and prey. In this experiment you will consider.

II. OBJECTIVES
1. the effectiveness of the prey item's morphology (color and shape) at preventing it from being
detected and captured by the predator
2. the effectiveness of the predator's feeding apparatus at allowing it to forage for enough prey to
survive and leave offspring
3. Other factors that might affect survival and reproduction in either predator or prey
 III. MATERIALS

Beanus melanus (Black Bean) Beanus albus (White Bean)

Beanus maculatus (Pinto Bean) Beanus rubrus (Red Bean)

Fabanthropus meniscostoma (Spoon-Mouthed Bean-eating Ape)

Fabanthropus forficatostoma (Fork-Mouthed Bean-eating Ape)
Fabanthropus planistoma (Knife-Mouthed Bean-eating Ape)
Fabanthropus acutistoma (Chopstick-Mouthed Bean-eating Ape)
Fabanthropus amphistoma (Tong-Mouthed Bean-eating Ape)
IV. PROCEDURES

Natural Selection: Bean Camouflage vs. Predator Mouthparts

Many predators rely on visual cues to detect prey. Tasty prey items that are less conspicuous
than equally tasty members of their population may have a selective advantage over their more visible
conspecifics.

Group leader will scatter an initial population of 400 Beanus, consisting of equal numbers of four
species: 100 black (Beanus melanus), 100 white (Beanus albus), 100 pinto (Beanus maculatus), and 100
red (Beanus rubrus). The object of our hunt: to find out whether any of the four species has a selective
advantage over the others, when it comes to avoiding being eaten. You will play the part of the predators.
All students in the lab will be divided into equal numbers of predators for the first generation. Each will
be assigned one of five different kinds of specialized feeding structures: a color-coded cup paired with
either (1) spoon (Fabanthropus meniscostoma), (2) fork (Fabanthropus forficatostoma), (3) knife
(Fabanthropus planistoma), (4) chopsticks (Fabanthropus acutistoma), or (5) tongs (Fabanthropus
amphistoma).

PREDATOR RULES:
1. Predators must pick up prey with their feeding apparatus only. No helping with fingers or other
objects, including the cups!
2. Predators may not remove prey from a fellow predator's cup but they may feel free to dash in and
fight for any prey being pursued by another predator. It's a jungle out there. Hungry predators are
not kind to strangers. After Round One of bloody carnage is over, all groups must count and digest
their prey. Use Table 1.1 below to record.
Step One: How many beans have survived to reproduce?

Each predator type should congregate after Round One and count the number of beans of each color
captured by their group. These data should be recorded (by everyone) in Table 1-1.

1. Enter the total number of each color bean killed by each predator, in Table 1-1.

2. To determine the number of survivors of each bean color, subtract the number killed from 100 (your
original bean population). Enter these data in the bottom row.

3. For each bean color, calculate the number of new beans to add to the population with this
formula (also shown in Table 1-2).

The answer tells us how many beans of a given species survived to have babies. Whoever has the
most babies wins the game of natural selection. Once the numbers of new baby beans of each species have
been calculated, volunteers should count out the correct number of new recruits (born to the surviving
beans of each species), then toss them into to the Bean Bin held by your group leader

Although the proportion of beans colors will change as predation changes the composition
of the prey population, the total number of beans should remain the same at 400. If your
calculations don't result in a total of 400 beans in the wild population, then something has gone
wrong with your calculations. Go back and do it again! Because each color has different mortality
and survivorship, only the relative numbers of each bean color will change.
Step Two: How many predators have survived to reproduce?

Predators, too, have experienced differential success, and that means differential reproduction.
(The more food you get; the more babies you can have.) As you will see, some feeding structures are
better suited for capturing beans than others.

1. Predator groups should band together again and count the total number of beans (all species) killed by
their species of predator. (Use the data you entered in Table 1-1 for this calculation.)

2. The total number of ALL SPECIES of beans killed by ALL PREDATORS should be entered in the last
column of Table 1-1 (Total kills).

3. You can now calculate how many predators of each type will survive in the next generation with this

formula (which also appears in Table 1-3):

4. When you have completed your calculations, report your results to your group leader who will enter
them into the table.

Once each predator group has finished its calculations, establish your new predator populations.
Listen carefully and quietly as your group leader does the following:

1. The group leader will call out each predator type. (Start with the species that decreased, and work your
way up.) If the number of predators of a given type is less than the initial number in Round One, then the
appropriate number of that predator type must turn in their mouthparts and cups. They have not
survived the ordeal. (Don't worry. They'll be reincarnated as another predator soon. Weep not for
chopsticks.)

2. The group leader will repeat the process for each type of predator mouthpart.

3. If you're a predator who died in Round One, then you will be reincarnated as a different species of
(more successful predator) in Round Two. For example, if chopsticks (initial population = 5) decrease by
2, and spoons increase by 2 in the next generation, then two students who played chopsticks in Round
One will take up spoons in Round Two. It doesn't matter which team you're on. The important measure
is the number of predators in each round.

4. When all predator populations have been reorganized for the second generation, you're ready for
Round Two. Follow your group leader to the hunting grounds, and go for another round of merciless
bean slaughter.

Round Two, and Beyond

After you have calculated the next generation of predators and prey:

1. Count out the number of new bean recruits to be added to the existing population.

2. Add them to the "Initial Population" bin for distribution into the habitat by your group leader.

3. Your group leader will scatter prey on the lawn in the same habitat you hunted before, and the
predators will once again set upon them for 90 seconds.

4. Repeat the calculations for predators and prey as above for Round Two, and go through at least 3
rounds (generations). Use the tables at the end of this section to enter your raw data and keep track of
your calculations.
IMPORTANT HINTS
1. Once you calculate the number of new recruits to the population, DO NOT FORGET TO ADD THAT
NUMBER TO THE SURVIVORS OF THE PREVIOUS GENERATION before you do your calculations for the
next round. Unless you do this important step, your calculations will not be correct!
2. The proportions of prey species should change (if you've done your calculations correctly), but the
total population should remain at 400 beans. If this is not the case (with the exception of rounding
errors), then the calculations are not correct, and you need to re-do them.
3. Similarly, the total number of predators in each round should stay the same as the initial round. Only
the relative frequencies of each predator species should change.

V. DATA ANALYSIS

Figure 1. Prey Populations for Generations 1, 2, and 3.

PREY'S POPULATION FOR EACH GENERATION

200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3

Black Beans Green Beans Red Beans White Beans

Figure 1 shows that green beans have the highest number of populations after 3 generations,

followed by the red beans, black beans, and white beans respectively. Thus, green bean prey species is the

most successful prey among all prey species while white bean prey species are the least successful species

among all four prey species in the experiment.

 The relative fitness is the average contribution to the offspring generation relative to the

contribution of another type types of species. In Generation 2, the green bean specie had the highest

significant increase of added population to generation 3, thus we can infer that the green bean specie has

the highest relative fitness relative all prey species. A number of observable factors come to play affecting

the relative fitness of the prey species as a part of this discussion. The first factor we observed are the bean

sizes. White beans were captured and killed by the predators with ease particularly because the white bean

species are has a relatively larger in size among all bean species. In addition, black beans is the second

largest bean species thus also made it easy for predators to capture.

Red beans and black beans have near difference in size with red beans being a bit larger than the

green beans. It can be inferred that only basing on size, red beans and green beans should hypothetically

have near increase of population results. However, it cannot be concluded that only bean size affected the

survivability and increase of population of the prey species as other observable factors are also observed

in the experiment.

Bean species color also affects the population increase per generation for each bean prey species.

This is via color visual cues that make some bean species more attractive than others. This factor has

significantly delineated the difference in prey populations between the red bean and green bean preys

despite of size, as the red bean prey has more attractive catching colors to predator whereas green bean

preys even though having a distinct green color, the green color is also observed to be dull and fading

greyish brown, making it less conspicuous, thus red color shows to be a more attractive color to predators.

Therefore, predators are more likely to selectively prey upon the red beans compare to the green beans,

thus resulting to lesser population increase of red beans compared to green beans. This gives green beans

a selective advantage over red beans despite nearly having the same bean sizes.

Moreover, black beans and white beans are less conspicuous colors to predators, however, because

of their higher bean size, allows them to be easily captured more by the predator species. In comparison

between white beans and black beans, while white beans may be the least conspicuous color especially the

that provided environment color in the experiment is white, it can be assumed that the white bean would
have higher chances of survivability and a higher increase in populations per generation, however, the size

of white beans are still significantly higher compared to that of the black beans and compared to all bean

preys and this might have highly factored the least survivability, population increase and relative fitness

to the white bean preys.

Figure 2. Predator Populations for Generations 1, 2, and 3.

PREDATORS POPULATION FOR EACH GENERATION

3.5

2.5

1.5

0.5

0
Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3

SPOON TONGS FORK CHOPSTICK KNIFE

Figure 2 shows that the spoon predator have the highest number of populations after 3 generations

with a predator population of 3, while knife predator has the highest number of populations after 3

generations with a predator population of 0 from generation 2 to generation 3. Thus, spoon predator is the

most successful predator among all prey species while knife predator is the least successful species among

all four prey species in the experiment.

Comparatively, in generation 2 tongs predator have the highest population of predator (3

predators) while spoon only have 1. This might be a delimitation of capturing time generation 1 capturing

time only had little time for predators to catch and kill their prey which resulted to non-significant
differences of the total number of preys captured by the predators, whereas generation 3 had a significantly

different killing time of 2 minutes.

The most observable and existent factor that come to play affecting the relative fitness of the prey

species as a part of this discussion is the mouthpart morphology of the predator species. All of the 5

predator species have very different morphological features of their mouthparts in the activity. These

morphological factors of their mouthparts show to be assets of their feeding apparatus for foraging and

capturing prey. Spoon predator has the highest morphological advantage in its feeding apparatus as it can

capture more prey, compared to all predator species as the morphology of the spoon in wide and curved

allowing better capture. Knife has the lowest chance of capturing many prey because knife morphology is

flat and more likely not to hold prey consistently. Forks are less likely to capture smaller preys such as th

green beans and red beans because of spaces in between in the metal protrusions and lastly, tongs have

more advantage compared to forks and knives because it can capture prey more accurately because of the

sandwiching mechanism of the tongs and because of this, it can catch the bean preys more consistently.

In generation 2, the spoon and fork have been revived into tongs and in g
ANALYSIS:

Table 1. Number of beans caught (by color) by each predator.

Predator Black White Green Red Total
Spoon 3 6 8 5 22
Tongs 7 14 3 6 30
Fork 7 7 5 2 21
Chopstick 0 3 0 0 3
Knife 3 0 0 0 3
Kills 20 30 16 13 79
Survivor 80 70 84 87 321
Add to the next
round 19.68847 17.22741 20.6729 21.41121 79
Table 1 – 2. Beanus recruitment after Round One

A. Black beans

Perform your calculation for the black beans here:

80
𝑥 79 = 19.68847 = 20
321

B. White Beans

Perform your calculation for the white beans here:

70
𝑥 79 = 17.22741 = 17
321

C. Green Beans

Perform your calculation for the green beans here:

37
𝑥 79 = 20.6729 = 21
321

D. Red Beans

Perform your calculation for the red beans here:

87
𝑥 79 = 21.41121 = 21
321
Table 1.2 Predator survival in Round one and recruitment for Round TWO

A. Spoons

Do your calculation for the spoons here:

22
𝑥 5 = 1.39240506 = 1
79

B. Forks

Do your calculation for the forks here:

21
𝑥 5 = 1.32911392 = 1
79

C. Tongs

Do your calculation for the tongs here:

30
79
𝑥 5 = 1.89873418 = 2

D. Chopstick

Do your calculation for the chopstick here:

3
𝑥 5 = 0.18987342 = ELIMINATED
79
E. Knives

Do your calculation for the chopstick here:

3
𝑥 5 = 0.18987342 = ELIMINATED
79
RAW DATA FOR EACH ROUND
Raw data. Round 1
Predator Black White Green Red Total
Spoon 3 6 8 5 22
Fork 7 14 3 6 30
Chopsticks 7 7 5 2 21
Tongs 0 3 0 0 3
Knife 3 0 0 0 3
Kills 20 30 16 13 79
Survivor 80 70 84 87 321
New recruits 20 21 21 17 79

# In Gen. 2 100 105 108 87 400

Raw data. Round 2

Predator Black White Green Red Total
Spoon 42 34 35 48 159
Tongs 1 10 12 9 5 36
Tongs 2 7 8 7 9 31
Tongs 3 16 9 7 15 47
Fork 13 13 10 11 47
Kills 88 76 68 88 320
Survivor 12 11 37 20 80
New recruits 48 44 148 80 320
# In Gen. 3 60 55 55 100 400

Raw data. Round 3

predator black white green red Total
Spoon 1 13 14 43 17 87
Spoon 2 12 14 65 25 116
Spoon 3 10 9 30 12 61
Tongs 3 7 6 13 15 41
Fork 10 10 3 7 30
Kills 52 53 154 76 335
Survivor 8 2 31 24 65
New recruits 41.23077 10.30769 159.7692 123.6923 335

# In Gen. 4 49 12 191 148 400

 Predator and Prey Reconstitution Data Sheets
Generation 1 Original Starting population

Prey
Black White Green Red Total
generation

Total 100 100 100 100 400

Round 1

Prey
Black White Green Red Total
generation

Total 100 100 100 100 400

a. # of kills 20 30 16 13 79
b. # of survivors 80 70 84 87 321
c. # of recruits 20 21 21 17 79

Total number in
Generation 2 100 105 108 87 400
(Add b and c)

Round 2

Prey
Black White Green Red Total
generation

Total 100 105 108 87 400

a. # of kills 88 76 68 88 320

b. # of survivors 12 11 37 20 80

c. # of recruits 48 44 148 80 320

Total number in
Generation 3 60 55 55 100 400
(Add b and c)
Round 3

Prey
Black White Green Red Total
generation

Total 60 55 185 100 400

a. # of kills 52 53 154 76 335

b. # of survivors 8 2 31 24 65
c. # of recruits 41.23077 10.30769 159.7692 123.6923 335

Total number in
Generation 4 49 12 191 148 400
(Add b and c)
 Prey Population:
Generation 2
A. Black beans

Perform your calculation for the black beans here:

12
𝑥 321 = 48
80

B. White Beans

Perform your calculation for the white beans here:

20
𝑥 321 = 44
80

C. Green Beans

Perform your calculation for the green beans here:

37
𝑥 321 = 148
80

D. Red Beans

Perform your calculation for the red beans here:

20
𝑥 321 = 80
80
 Predator population: Generation 2

A. Spoons

Do your calculation for the spoons here:

159
𝑥 5 = 2.484375 = 2
320

B. Forks

Do your calculation for the forks here:

47
𝑥 5 = 0.734375 = 1
320

C. Tongs 1

Do your calculation for the tongs here:

36
𝑥 5 = 0.5625 = ELIMINATED
79

D. Tongs 2

Do your calculation for the tongs here:

31
79
𝑥 5 = 0.484375 = ELIMINATED
E. Tongs 3

Do your calculation for the tongs here:

47
𝑥 5 = 0.734375 = 1
79
 Prey Population: Generation 3

A. Black beans

Perform your calculation for the black beans here:

8
𝑥 335 = 41.23077 = 41
65

B. White Beans

Perform your calculation for the white beans here:

2
𝑥 335 = 10.30769 = 10
65

C. Green Beans

Perform your calculation for the green beans here:

31
𝑥 335 = 159.7692= 160
65

D. Red Beans

Perform your calculation for the red beans here:

24
𝑥 335 = 123.6923 = 124
65
 Predator population: Generation 3

A. Spoon 1

Do your calculation for the spoons here:

87
𝑥 5 = 1.29850736 = 1
362

B. Spoon 2

Do your calculation for the spoons here:

116
𝑥 5 = 1.73134328 = 2
362

C. Spoon 3

Do your calculation for the spoons here:

61
362
𝑥 5 = 0.91044776 = 1

D. Tongs 3

Do your calculation for the tongs here:

41
𝑥 5 = 0.6119403 = 1
362
E. Fork

Do your calculation for the fork here:

30
𝑥 5 = 0.44776119 = ELIMINATED
362
 VI. GUIDE QUESTIONS
Answer the following questions:
1. Explain the process of natural selection in your own words.

Natural selection is the process through which individuals that have traits that are more
advantageous to their survival that other individuals, and that those traits can be passed on to
another will be able to survive an reproduce more while does who are less advantageous cannot
survive and reproduce more.
As this individuals then may pass their adaptive traits on to their offspring. And over the
time, the advantageous traits will become more common in the population. Through the process of
natural selection, the favorable traits are transmitted through generation.

2. Describe the effect of natural selection on the predator populations in the activity performed?

The predator populations in the activity plays an important role in the process of natural
selection. Based on the data presented, the natural selection in the activity favors the predators that
have the most favorable morphological structure. The predators that have wider or larger mouth
size or surface were the ones that captured most number of prey. On the other hand, those predators
that doesn’t acquire the favorable morphological structures to capture prey were eliminated, thus
decreasing the population of predators with less-adaptive traits in the activity.
Natural selection works in the predators by which the predators with the kills lower that
than that relative to or compared to kills of other predators in the experiment. So they will be
eliminated or will not be able to survive and then turn into more adaptive and advantageous trait.

3. Describe the effect of natural selection on the prey populations in the activity performed?

There is competitive exclusion happening in natural selection by which two species that use
the same resource in the same way in the same space and time cannot coexist and must diverge
from each other over time in order for the two species to coexist. One species who are the most
advantageous ones will often exhibit an advantage in resource use (prey as food.) This superior
competitor will out-compete the other as they are more efficient as predator. As a result, the inferior
competitor will suffer a decline in population over time. It will be excluded from the area and
replaced by the superior competitor.
4. If the environment/habitat for this activity was changed, do you think it will have an effect to both
predator and prey populations. Give an example.

Yes, it will have an effect on both predator and prey population if the environment was
changed or altered. Example is the color of the container where all 400 beans are place. In the
activity, we use a white container. If it is changed to a black or red container, the beans who have
the same color will most likely have the advantage not to be eaten as it blends with the container.
Color is definitely a factor in the prey and predator. In real life, the conditions in the environment
influence the ability of predators and prey to detect one another. One example of change in
environment is climate change. Due to the global warming, the size of leafhopper become smaller
over 30 generations (University of Phoenix, 2015). The decrease of body size is a significant
advantage to leafhopper as they can have a possibility to get away from predators like birds, lizards,
and spiders.

5. Is natural selection the only way evolution occurs? Explain.

No. Natural selection molds evolution. Considering the fact that natural selection is the most
famous, and often the most important, mechanism of evolution. But there are also several other
forces of evolutionary change . Evolution also occur in several additional ways. This include the
Mutation. Mutation fuels evolution where it alters allele frequencies by changing one allele into
another, sometimes providing new phenotypes for natural selection to act on. Another is Genetic
drift, which occurs by chance. In genetic drift, allele frequencies change purely by chance events,
especially in small populations. The founder effect and bottle effect are forms of genetic drift.
Another is, Nonrandom mating - that concentrates alleles locally, this causes some alleles to
concentrate in subpopulations. Lastly , Migration. Migration moves alleles between populations. As
individuals migrate, they can carry new alleles into existing populations, altering allele frequencies.
, there were also other. This indicates that , natural selection is not the only way for evolution to
occur, but there were also other mechanisms that fuels evolution.
VII. DOCUMENTATION

FOUR TYPES OF PREY BEANS USED:

FIVE DIFFERENT TOOLS/ UNTENSILS USED:

PREPARATION AND MIXING OF ALL 400 BEANS:

 ROUND 1 BEANS:

PREDATORS CAPTURING BEANS IN ROUND 1:

 ROUND 1 BEANS SURVIVORS:

ADDING NEW PREY RECRUITS FOR ROUND 2:

NEW PREY POPULATION FOR ROUND 2:

PREDATORS CAPTURING BEANS IN ROUND 2:

SURVIVORS IN ROUND 2:
NUMBERS OF PREY KILLED BY EACH PREDATOR IN ROUND 2:

NEW PREY POPULATION (INCLUDING NEW RCRUITS) FOR ROUND 3:

 PREDATORS CAPTURING BEANS IN ROUND 3:

NUMBERS OF PREY KILLED BY EACH PREDATOR IN ROUND 3: