Bird Beak Lab Analysis

Bird Beak Lab Analysis

Part 1

In this lab we asked whether different inherited traits could help individuals to survive better, therefore reproducing more, than other individuals. Our hypothesis was that If certain traits allow inidivual to survive better and there are winners and losers in a population, then the tweezer beak will collect the most food and have the most offspring. We indeed found that the birds with the tweezer beaks collected more food in the time allotted and thus had more offspring than the other beak shapes. The tweezer beaked bird had a total of 16 offspring in part 1. The scissor beak had 11, binder clip had 10, and spoon had 7. This conclusion is proven through many species who evolved a certain way. There are more brown squirrels than white squirrels in this area, because they blend in better. This data supports our claim because it means that fur color effects the survival of squirrels.

Part 2

In this lab we asked whether changes in selective pressures will affect the evolution of that species.  We found that selective pressures do affect that species. We know this because after the "bird flu" affected our bird populations, offspring counts went down. The tweezer beaked birds before the bird flu produced 16 offspring total. The tweezer beaked birds during the flu only produced 9 offspring total.  This concept is shown through examples like when hunters start going after foxes in the arctic and the gray fox population goes down while the white foxes goes up because they can survive better.  This supports out claim because the increase in hunting causes a change in the allele frequency of a species, thus affecting the evolution of that species. 

While our hypothesis was supported by our data, there could have been errors due to cheating while doing the tests. We got a tad carried away with competing with each other.  This could have reduced the offspring of one beak type and increased others. Therefore making the data inaccurate.  We also could have spread more of the food to one side of the table, making it harder for some and easier for others. This could have made a certain species have gotten more food than another species, that normally wouldn't. Due to these errors, I would recommend controlling the spreading of the food around the table, and not allowing the different beak types to help or touch each other. 

This lab was done to demonstrate how diseases or other factors directly effect species and their survival and evolution. From this lab I learned about how different alleles help species survive, which helps me understand the topic of evolution. Based on my experience from this lab, I could predict what would happen if a bird flu or another selective pressure appeared in a population today.