ANTHROPOLOGY 01

NATURAL SELECTION
LAB REPORT
MATTHEW GODDARD
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Charles Darwin was one of the most famous scientists to study and develop evolutionary

theories. One of his theories of evolution was called natural selection. He developed this theory while

visiting the Galapagos Islands to study Finches. Darwin discovered many different species of Finches

in many parts of the islands. The Galapagos islands are a group of around one hundred islands.

Darwins research concluded that the islands contained different species of finches on separate

islands. The different species of birds evolved differently shaped beaks because the habitat of their

prey varied from island to island. Some of the species had to have smaller beaks for seeds and

insects.

My anthropology class tried to do a similar experiment to Darwins natural selection theory.

The class contains 30 students but one had left during the experiment. The students were split into

six groups. Each of the players in the groups were given tools to be used as a beak. The tools varied

between groups. The beaks were tongs, hairclips, clothing pins, chopsticks, tweezers. Chip clips

was a mutation that was randomly selected to a person during the experiment. The tools were

supposed to represent the different kinds of Galapagos bird species. Sunflower seeds were spread

atop of everyones table. The teacher then asked the groups of students to pick up as many

sunflower seeds as fast as they could in a minute. The three players that picked up the least were

brought to the front of the class; the same went with the three top players who picked up the most.

The three losers were given new beaks that were the same ones that the winners had. There were

five rounds in the experiment. My Hypothesis was that the hairclips would do better than the tongs

and chopsticks. The table below are the results of the experiment.
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Beginning Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5

Tongs 6 8 8 9 11 13

Hair Clips 6 6 5 5 5 4

Clothes Pins 6 4 3 3 3 3

Chopsticks 6 5 5 3 2 1

Tweezers 6 7 8 9 7 7

Chip Clips _ - 1 1 1 1

total 30 30 30 29 29

Conclusion The hair clips did better than the chopsticks but the tongs destroyed the hair clips. My

hypothesis was wrong because I thought the Hair clips were going to get more than both. The

population of the chopstick birds were diminishing quickly while the other birds seems to stay

relatively stable. Although, the tong population may have eventually thrown of the whole population . I

liked the experiment because it showed how natural selection will eliminate the species that is not

adept to live on its habitat. It makes me want to explore real world environments and find animals that

have adapted to live in them.

References

Kleindorfer, S. (2016, June 3). DARWINS FINCHES AND NATURAL SELECTION IN THE

GALAPAGOS. Retrieved from Earthwatch.org: http://earthwatch.org/expeditions/darwins-finches-and-

natural-selection-in-the-galapagos