Natural Selection Lab- PhET Simulation

Pre-Lab Questions
1. What variables can you influence in this lab?
We can change the mutation, selection factor, Environment, Chart, and Genes.
2. Define what a genetic mutation is. How do genetic mutations happen? How often?
Genetic mutation is when a gene gets a mistake accidentally when they are trying to copy the
DNA to make a new cell, this happens very often because cell division happens every second.
3. What do the terms fitness and adaptation mean? What is the difference between the two?
Fitness is the ability of an organism to survive and reproduce, adaptation is when an organism
have to change due to them not being fit in the environment.
4. What selection factors might effect an animal population besides the ones used in this lab?
Type of predators, landscape (rough/smooth/etc.), food availability/variety, competition
Designing The Experiment
In this Lab you will be controlling the mutations and environment of a population of rabbits. Your
will create four hypotheses and design an experiment to test each one. Your hypothesis will
follow the format where you fill in the (...) with your own ideas and reasons.
I hypothesize that (select a rabbit phenotype) rabbits will be (more/ less) likely to
survive under (type of selective factor) within the (select type of environment)
environment, because..... (explain how their trait will help them to survive or not)

***You must make at least one hypothesis for each of the three different types of phenotype
mutations***

For each experiment you must have a control (no mutation) and fill in the following chart

Experiment
and
Hypothesis

Pheno
type

Selective
Factor

CONTROL
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

CONTROL
Group
Final
Population

Experment
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

Experiment
Group
Final
Population

Conclusion/
Observation

I hypothesize
that Brown
rabbits will be
More likely to
survive under
Wolves within
the Equator
environment,
because their
brown fur can
help them
camouflage
with the ground
so the wolves
cant see them
easily unlike
bunnies with
white fur

Brow
n fur

wolves

18

18

11

Brown rabbits
would survive
more in the
equator
environment

I hypothesize
that Long teeth
rabbits will be
More likely to
survive under
Food within the
Equator
environment,
because its
easier for the
long teeth
bunnies get/eat
food

Long
teeth

Food

18

18

43

Rabbits with long

teeth would
survive and get
food easier

I hypothesize
that long tailed
rabbits will be
More likely to
survive under
wolves within
the Equator
environment,
because its
easier for them
to disguise

Long
tail

wolves

18

18

Rabbits with long

tail will get easily
detected by the
wolfs

I hypothesize
that White
rabbits will be
More likely to
survive under
Wolves within
the Arctic
environment,
because their
white fur can
help them
camouflage
with the ground
and snow so
the wolves
cant see them
easily unlike
bunnies with
brown fur.

White
fur

wolves

18

119

18

18

Rabbits with
white fur could
easily survive in
the artic
environment
because they
can camouflage
easily

 For each of the experiments, begin by adding a friend and a mutation. Wait until the F3
generation before adding the selective factor. After adding the selective factor let the
simulation run for another 3 or 4 generations.
Use the population numbers from the chart to get you numbers for the table, remember
you can zoom in and out on the chart to get more accurate reads.
Repeat for experiments 2, 3 and 4
Post-Lab Questions
1. Based upon your evidence from the simulation what conclusion are you able to make
about each of the three different types of phenotypes in rabbits?
The rabbits with brown fur could survive in the equator environment meanwhile the rabbits with
white fur could survive in arctic environment. Rabbits with long tails get detected easier by
wolves, and rabbits that have long teeth could get food easier no matter where they are.
2. What happens to animals that cannot compete as well with other animals in the wild?
They would die and cant produce more generations

3. Sometimes animals that are introduced into an area that they never lived in before, outcompete and endanger resident species, why do you think this happens?
Because they are not adapted to the environment yet, so theyre not used to it and dont have
defenses against some things in the new environment
4. If only one species is considered the "fittest", why do we still have so many variations
among species. Why do some birds have very long pointy beaks, while other birds have
short flat beaks?
Because there are different variations of environments, and in each environment there are
different food and organisms.
5. How do you think diseases can affect natural selection?
It can affect them depending on each organisms immunity to some diseases, if they are immune
they would live longer and would make their off-springs also immune and would keep passing
down.
6. How does this simulation mimic natural selection? In what ways does this simulation fail to
represent the process of natural selection?

It mimics natural selection pretty well, but its only a simulation so it still fail in having
more variety, like how there are different types of food and predators, the simulation
would be very different if they added these factors.

Extension- Changing the Dominance and

Recessive Alleles
Take one of the experiments from the lab. Recreate the same
experiment, EXCEPT when you add the mutation EDIT THE
GENES by switching the dominant and recessive allele for that
trait. Make a hypothesis, fill in the chart again and compare the
results to your initial experiment.
Experiment
and
Hypothesis

Pheno
type

Selective
Factor

CONTROL
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

CONTROL
Group
Final
Population

Experment
Group
Initial
Population
at F3

Experiment
Group
Final
Population

Conclusion/
Observation

I hypothesize
that brown fur
rabbits will be
more likely to
survive under
Wolves within
the Equator
environment,
because even
though the
genes are
recessive they
would still
survive better
because they
can camouflage

Brow
n fur

Wolves

18

18

The brown rabbit

would still
survive better in
the equator
environment

1. Did switching the alleles for dominant and recessive have any impact on the population of
rabbits? If so Why? In nothing changed Why not?
Yes, there are less brown rabbits and so there are in total less rabbits because the brown
rabbits are the who would survive better in the equator environment
2. Two parent rabbits are both heterozygous for the trait. Create Punnet squares for the
original experiment and the new experiment (with the changed alleles). What are the
phenotype ratios of the Punnet squares? Does this evidence support your finding? and
how?
TT: White fur Tt: White fur
tt: Brown fur
T
t
White fur: 75%
Brown fur: 25%
T TT
Tt
Yes it does, because from the simulation we can see that there
t Tt
Tt
are less brown bunnies when the genes are changed.
3. If this new experiment were to run longer would the end result be the same or different
from the original experiment?
It would end up having the same result as the original experiment because the chance of
survival for the brown rabbits doesnt change, it just changed how often the brown rabbits
appear.

Extension- Working with PedigreesSwitch from the population chart to the pedigree
chart
Begin by adding a friend and a mutation. Wait until
the F5 generation. Copy the Pedigree for two
rabbits (described below) using the key. Assume
that male rabbits are on the left and female rabbits
are on the right.

Find these two rabbits, make sure they have at least four generations:
1. Select a rabbit that has the mutation.

2. Select a rabbit without the mutation but with parents or grandparent with the mutation.

Answer the following questions:

1. How could using a pedigree be helpful?
It could be helpful because we know where the mutation was, in what generation and could
predict if the next generation would have the mutation or not

2. What does it mean to have a yellow triangle above the rabbit?

It means that the mutation starts from that specific rabbit, the cause of the mutation.

3. What does it mean when a rabbit has a red X over it?

It means that the rabbit already died.

4. How accurate are the pedigrees used in this lab? Did each couple only have one baby?
Not too accurate, yes each couple only have one baby even though everytime a rabbit gives
birth it will always be more than one child and if it has more than one child the final result would
be very different