Uriel Corrales

ANTHRO 1020
Human Origins

NATURAL SELECTION LAB REPORT

INTRODUCTION:
A: REVIEW
Darwins Finches which was observed in the Galapagos Islands, describes how
evolution is present in our world. It states that similar birds finches have changed
over time to adapt to their environment. All the 14 birds that have evolved (over 2-3
million years ago) with different finches come from a common ancestor. Also the
birds could not interbreed because of the distance they were apart. They simply
evolved to survive and change with their surroundings and it occurs by natural
selection. A big part of why their beak size and shape differs is because of the
availability of food. (unknown)
Some scientists did an experimental study by researching the birds adaptation as
a process. Their data was taken from an isolated island called Daphne Major. What
they acquired out of the process was that the smaller size birds with smaller beaked
died during the drought in 1977 years because they werent able to crack open the
large seeds. This sky rocketed the population of the favorable middle size and large
beak bird and thus their offspring inherited the larger beaks to survive. Then about
8 years later the smaller beak birds were the favorable ones. Large amounts of rain
created a big amount of vegetation. Now the medium to bigger sized beak birds
couldnt reach the seeds, but the smaller ones could. This is a perfect example of
natural selection. Favorable variations survived to their environment and increased
in population. (Rosemary Grant)
B.

HYPOTHESIS:

My hypothesis for our in class assignment was that the tweezers would acquire the
most seeds, which meant they would increase in population. Also the hair clip would
become extinct because of lack of seeds they did not get. I predicted this because
of all the objects we had to use as a beak, the hair clip looked like the hardest to
pick up seeds with and the tweezers looked like the most efficient.
3. MATERIALS & METHODS:
We used seven different objects that represented different types of beaks. The
objects we used were:

Tongs

Clothes pins
Chopsticks
Tweezers
Hair clips
Chip clips
Binder clips

Next our professor spread sunflower seed all over the tables. We used a small paper
cup as the stomach of the bird. The objective was to pick up the most sunflower
seeds with our beaks (given object) in 45 seconds. Those who picked up the least
seeds would die and would have to take the same objects of the top three students
that picked up the most seeds. We did this five times to get good data.
4. RESULTS:
Rounds

Tongs

Clothes
pins
Chopstic
ks
Tweezers

Hair clips

Chip
clips
Binder
clips

9
8
7
Tongs

Clothes pins
5

Chopsticks
Tweezers

Hair clips

Chip clips
Binder clips

2
1
0
Beginning Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

SUMMARY: We started off with 5 of each objects but the binder clip started with 3.
As you can see some of the objects (beaks) increases, decreased, or stayed
constant throughout the 5, 45 seconds rounds. With the results we see that the
tongs and clothes pins were the more favorable beak variation, the tweezers and
hair clips stayed constant, and the chopsticks and binder were the least favorable
beak type. This experiment shows a great example of natural selection.
5. CONCLUSION:
My person hypothesis was rejected. Simply because what I guessed would of
happened didnt. I predicted that the tweezers would be the most favorable beak
but it wasnt it stayed constant. Also I taught that the hair clip would completely go
extinct, and it stayed 100% constant thorough out the 5 rounds.
Some errors that could have happened are: holding your beak wrong, ran out of
sunflower seeds in your area, counted the amount of sunflower seeds wrong,
cup(stomach) fell and dropped all your sunflower seeds, grabbed more than one
sunflower seed at a time, or students werent honest with their participation in the
experiment.
When other researchers do the same experiment as you several things can happen.
They can prove your data completely wrong, add on to your data, or find new
elements to it. In science you never state that something is 100% true or false
because things change constantly, and or other researchers find new evidence.
Replication is always good because the more you do it the closer we get to the
truth, but never reach it.

6. DISCUSSION:
The scientific method is a very well know testing strategy to science by giving a
hypothesis, observing, experimenting, analyze, collect data, and draw a conclusion.
Many fields use the scientific method, not just scientist. Most scientists use it to
examine the relationship between nature or natural events, and changes that
happen. The scientific method is a basic examination, understanding, and
experimenting with things. For example, mechanic. They observe the, create a
hypothesis of what might be wrong with the automobile. After that they start to fix
the car and get a conclusion or result. If the car is still not fixed, they observe again
and the process starts over. Also cooking from scratch with recipes, lawyers,
marketing writing a story, and many other fields or professions use some variation
of the scientific method. (Bull)
Our activity involves the scientific method because we stated a hypothesis, we did a
scientific experiment, we observed, analyzed, gathered data, and came up with a
conclusion.
The Theory of Evolution by natural selection and its underlying assumptions:
Favorable variation of the surviving specie will increase in population. They will have
more off springs that can survive but and they will inherit the favorable variations.
Some variations are favorable and some are not.
Our assignment shows the use of the theory of evolution by natural selection. The
favorable beaks increased in population because of its survival. That variation of
bird with the favorable beak was inherited and become more common.
There are all kinds of examples of human going through evolution by natural
selection. It is scientifically proven that our brain has evolved over time. There are
genes that are immune to certain diseases. People from certain regions have
biological variation to adapt to where they are from. (O'Neil.)

Works Cited
Bull, Craig M. Pease & James J. " How Non-scientists use the Scientific Method."
2000. University of Texas education. 24 september 2015.
O'Neil., Dennis. "Model of Classifications." 2013. Anthro Palomar. 24 september
2015.
Rosemary Grant, Peter Grant. "What Darwin's Finches Can Teach Us about the
Evolutionary Origin and Regulation of Biodiversity." 2003. BioScience. 24
september 2015.

unknown. "Darwin's Finches." 2013. Truth in Science. 24 september 2015.