“survival of the fittest”
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“Survival of the Fittest”. Study 1: Darwin’s Finches. Darwin’s Finches, found on the Galapagos Islands, maintain a variety of beak shapes and sizes. Recourses on the islands can be limited in the dry season, and competition appears to be fierce among the finch population!. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
“Survival of the Fittest”
Study 1: Darwin’s FinchesDarwin’s Finches, found on the Galapagos Islands, maintain a variety of beak shapes and sizes. Recourses on the islands can be limited in the dry season, and competition appears to be fierce among the finch population!
Study 2: Male Peacocks• Male peacocks are
some of the flashiest animals on the planet. I’m not sure how effective those feathers are at warding off predators, but they’re certainly eye-catching. #swag
Study 3: Katydid• Katydids are tricky
to spot, for obvious reasons! If you’re not paying attention, you’ll pass right by one. They live in trees or shrubs, and rarely leave their woody environment.
Study 4: Giraffes• Giraffes are a cut above the
rest. These massively tall herbivores can reach heights of up to 18 feet! They’re usually spotted grazing among the tops of the trees, picking the leaves far out of reach from other African herbivores, such as gazelles… But the middle branches of the trees remain untouched… How peculiar.
For each Study:• Develop a Hypothesis (or a possible
explanation) as to why each trait might be adaptive. In detail, explain why the adaptation is useful, and how it might increase the individual’s “fitness”.
• Develop an experiment… a Test! How would you test your hypothesis? What would you look for in the wild? (Hint: don’t overthink it, sometimes the simple experiments give the best answers!