Taryn Moore

Anthro 1020
ePortfolio Signature Assignment
Weebly Website: http://tmoore63.weebly.com/anthro-1020.html
Natural Selection Report
As Charles Darwin began his journey on the Galapagos Island he
began to see something different about the finches beaks. He began to study
14 different finches that all shared the same ancestor. Throughout his
research he discovered that their beaks were all different depending on what
kind of food they ate, what was available to eat, and the competition that
came with trying to get the food. He started realizing that on the high
islands they have relatively blunt beaks and feed on arthropods and
mollusks, as well as fruits and seeds (Grant, et al., 2003). However what
makes it so interesting is when Darwin studied the finches on the lower ends
of the islands he found their beaks are much smaller, they are more
dependent on small seeds (Grant, et al., 2003).
Natural Selection was causing these beaks to be different shapes so it
could comply with their feeding habits. Although these beaks are meant to
make the finches eating habits easier it can cause them to downfall. Natural
Selection can cause species to fade off, During drought conditions, birds
with relatively deep beaks were shown to enjoy a disproportionate likelihood

of survival because of their superior ability to husk the seeds that were
available (Podos, et al., 2004).
My hypothesis before coming into the Natural Selection Lab was that
the tweezers would work better and the chip clips will work the least. I have
used tweezers multiple times throughout my life and felt that it was the
easiest to maneuver around. The chip clip is long and arent necessarily the
easiest to grab with.
Materials and Methods
To get an accurate result we had to use multiple materials and repeat
the process multiple times. Every student received their own form of a beak,
which was either tweezers, hair clips, clothespins, chopsticks, and binder
clips. We were allotted a specific amount of time for each round to pick up
our food. We did this for 5 rounds. During the second round we brought
out a mutation, which were the tongs.
Results
Beak

Begin

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Tweezers
Hair Clip
Clothespin
Chip Clip
Binder Clip

5
4
5
6
6

7
4
6
7
6

8
5
5
9
5

8
5
4
10
4

9
5
3
9
4

Round
5
10
5
2
9
4

Tongs

Beginning

Tweezer
Hair Clip
Clothespins
Chip Clip
Binder Clip

Round 5

Tweezer
Hair Clip
Clothespins
Chip Clip
Binder Clip
*Tong

When reviewing the charts the tweezers were the most effective, and
the clothespins were the least effective.

Conclusion
`

My hypothesis was correct to some extent. I was correct that the

tweezers would be the most effective. Throughout the lab it seemed most
students were able to maneuver the tweezers the easiest. I was wrong that
the chip clips would be the least favorable. Shockingly, the chip clips
actually came in second place and the clothespins were last.
I dont believe that the tongs threw off the results. They were pretty
unpractical beaks and would have not lasted very long as a species. The
clothespins were surprisingly unfaithful beaks. The main factor that
contributed to the results was the person behind the beak. There were many
people that did not seem to be able to use the chopsticks correctly.

Discussion

While doing any sort of research it is vital to use the Scientific

Method to get a proper conclusion.

The steps to the Scientific Method are:

-Observations/Resarch
-Hypothesis

-Experiment
-Conclusion

If you use these steps properly then you can get an exact answer to
whether or not your hypothesis is correct. The Scientific Method is being
used in almost every type of science experiment.
The theory of Natural Selection gives a much better explanation as to
why over time animals begin to adapt to their surroundings. The most
common example is with the giraffes. Many believe that the Giraffes once
had shorter necks however as time went on the trees started growing taller
and taller the Giraffes necks were also growing so they would be able to eat
the leaves comfortably.
The activity was great to get a full understanding of how Natural
Selection works. The students who were able to get the resources they need
would thrive and pass to their offspring however those who didnt would
begin to die out.
References
Grant, G. (n.d.). What Darwin's Finches Can Teach Us about the
Evolutionary Origin and Regulation of Biodiversity. Retrieved September
26, 2016, from http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1641/00063568(2003)053[0965:WDFCTU]2.0.CO;2
J. P. (n.d.). Jeffrey Podos. Retrieved September 26, 2016, from
http://bioscience.oxfordjournals.org/content/54/6/501.full#ref-6