Science Class- May 4- 8

This week, we learned about adaptations.  First we took notes, and then we did some simulations.

Processes that cause adaptations are environmental changes, evolution and mutations in the DNA.  It also may be caused by selective breeding and genetic engineering.  

If the organism is best suited for the environment, it will survive and reproduce.  If the organism is not suited for the environment, it will die off and not reproduce.  This way, the negative trait won't be passed down.  Negative traits still might occur if it is recessive and the parents are heterozygous, or there is a mutation.  Changes occur gradually across a population.  If the environment changes too quickly, the organism may not be able to adapt in time and it might die out.  

Starburst Alien Simulation

In this simulation, the background color represented the environment and the aliens that were the same color were best suited for it.  There are two things that might happen when you change the color: 1) the aliens may not adapt quick enough and the will all die, or 2) the aliens in the population will adapt and most of them will end up with that color.

Guppy Simulation

In this simulation, you choose the predators in the environment and then the starting population (% of types of guppies).  Over time, you watch as the types of guppies in the population increase or decrease in response to the environment.  

Peppered Moths

In this simulation, you are a bird, and trying to find the moths on the trees.  There are two types of moths: light and dark, and two kinds of trees: light and dark.  When the trees are light, it is hard to see the light moths and the light population increases. When the trees are dark, it is harder to find the dark moths and the population for them increases.