Tessa Huecksteadt
Natural Selection Lab Report
Human Origins-Anth 1020
February 6, 2015


Natural Selection Based on Darwin’s Finch’s Beaks
Introduction
o Darwin’s finches on the Galapagos Island started his theory of natural
selection that has been essential to the study of evolution. One of the
main guidelines for natural selection is the need to have variety due to
mutations so the possibility for competition is possible depending on
whether the mutation is favorable or unfavorable. Whether or not it’s
favorable is dependent on the environment. In regards to the finches,
the favorability was based on what beaks worked best during dry
years vs. wet. According to a study done by Peter R. Grant, during low
food supply or drought years, larger birds with thicker, harder beaks
were favored due to soft, small seeds disappearing first leaving the
small finches with little beaks struggling to crack and eat large
seeds.(1) For example, a study done on Daphne Island showed that a
drought in 1977 greatly disrupted the population leaving mostly large
finches that could crack the large seeds able to survive and have
offspring leading to a rise in population density for large finches and
thick beaks. Conversely, in seasons with lots of rainfall, the smaller
finches were favored because soft seeds were the dominating food
and tougher beaks couldn’t eat those as well. (2)
o My initial hypothesis was that tweezers would be the best for picking
up seeds because there is a lot of control with tweezers and once you
grab a seed there is a strong hold.
Materials Used
o The materials used were chopsticks, large hair clips, small hair clips,
clothespins, chip clips, tweezers, tongs and binder clips to mimic the
beaks and sunflower seeds to mimic the seeds.
o With four tables in the room in 4 rows, the teacher scattered seeds on
the tables, keeping them separated and not clumped together, to make
sure no one grabbed two seeds at the same time. Then, to start 5
people were given chopsticks, 5 large hair clips, 2 small hair clips, 5
clothespins, 5 chip clips, 5 tweezers, and 3 tongs, Then, the timer
would be set anywhere between 30 seconds and 1:30 depending on
the results of each experiment. At the end of the round, the teacher
would ask who has less then 10 or 20 seeds, whichever seems like the
smallest amount to pick up which will depend on the amount of seeds.
The amount would increase until 3 people had their hand raised,
which would make them the losers. Then, a high amount would be
named, anywhere from 40-60, and when three people had been
chosen they would be the winners. Then, the losers would get their 3
tools taken away from them and randomly given the 3 winners tools
and the 3 winners would get new tools that were favored. The
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Tessa Huecksteadt
Natural Selection Lab Report
Human Origins-Anth 1020
February 6, 2015
students would record the amount of each “beak” and the frequency
in each round. Go for five rounds.

Results
Beak Types
Beginning Round
1
Chopsticks #: 5
#3
Freq.
Freq.
17%
10%
Large hair
#: 5
#6
clips
Freq.
Freq.
17%
20%
Small hair
#2
#2
clips
Freq. 7% Freq.
7%
Clothespins #5
#4
Freq.
Freq.
17%
13%
Chip Clips
#5
#7
Freq.
Freq.
17%
23%
Tweezers
#5
#5
Freq.
Freq.
17%
17%
Tongs
#3
#3
Freq.
Freq.
10%
10%
Binder Clip NA
NA
Round
2
#2
Freq.
7%
#6
Freq.
20%
#2
Freq.
7%
#4
Freq.
13%
#9
Freq.
30%
#3
Freq.
10%
#4
Freq.
13%
NA
Round
3
#1
Freq.
3%
#5
Freq.
17%
#2
Freq.
7%
#3
Freq.
10%
#10
Freq.
33%
#4
Freq.
13%
#4
Freq.
13%
#1
Freq.
3%
Round
4
#1
Freq.
3%
#5
Freq.
17%
#2
Freq.
7%
#1
Freq.
3%
#11
Freq.
36%
#4
Freq.
13%
#6
Freq.
20%
0
Round
5
#1
Freq.
3%
#4
Freq.
13%
#2
Freq.
7%
#1
Freq.
3%
#11
Freq.
36%
#5
Freq.
17%
#6
Freq.
20%
0
2
Tessa Huecksteadt
Natural Selection Lab Report
Human Origins-Anth 1020
February 6, 2015
Beginning
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
At the beginning there was a frequency of 17% for chopsticks, large
hair clips, clothespins, chip clips and tweezers, a 7% for small hair clips and a
10% frequency for tongs. After the first round, chopsticks decreased to 10%,
large hair clips increased to 20%, small hair clips remained constant at 7%,
clothespins decreased to 13%, chip clips increased to 23%, tweezers stayed
the same at 17% and tongs stayed the same at 10%. After the second round,
chopsticks decreased to 7%, large hair clips remained constant at 20%, small
hair clips remained constant at 7%, clothespins remained constant at 13%,
chip clips increased to 30%, tweezers decreased to 10% and tongs increased
to 13%. After the third round, chopsticks decreased to 3%, large hair clips
decreased to 17%, small hair clips remained constant at 7%, clothespins
decreased to 10%, chip clips increased to 33%, tweezers increased to 13%,
tongs remained constant at 13% and a binder clip was added in with a
frequency of 3%. At the end of round 4 chopsticks remained constant at 3%,
large hair clips remained constant at 17%, small hair clips remained constant
at 7%, clothespins decreased to 3%, chip clips increased to 36%, tweezers
remained constant at 13%, tongs increased to 20% and the binder clip was
taken away. At the end of round 5, chopsticks remained constant at 3%, large
hair clips decreased to 13%, small hair clips remained constant at 2%,
clothespins remained constant at 3%, chip clips remained constant at 36%,
tweezers increased to 17% and tongs remained constant at 20%.

Conclusion
o I reject my hypothesis stating that tweezers would be the best
instrument for picking up seeds due to the data showing tweezers
being 3rd best at a ending frequency of 17% preceded by tongs at 20%
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Tessa Huecksteadt
Natural Selection Lab Report
Human Origins-Anth 1020
February 6, 2015
and chip clips at 36%. This data could be skewed by outside factors
including the hand eye coordination of the person using the
instrument. Depending on the skill, even the lowest frequency
instrument could remain in the rounds due to the person’s elite skill
compared to another students. Depending on the skill of the people
surrounding a student, the surrounding people could scavenge the
remaining seeds in said student’s space forcing them to find a new
area or lose. The “drought” that occurred before round 5 could
severely impact people’s numbers due to the amount that was taken
versus another which could have more seeds. With other experiments,
it would be difficult to assess the validity of this experiment based on
the other’s data. The other researchers may have fewer sunflowers,
there is no specific amount stated, less or more people, also not
clearly stated, and more or less time because the amount of time is
based on the amount of seeds picked up every round. The one part of
the experiment that could be valid with both is the background of
natural selection and the small example that was shown as the
purpose of the experiment.

Discussion
o The scientific method starts with researching and observing a
material in order to come up with a hypothesis that can be tested and
falsified. After the hypothesis has been recorded, the tests and
experiments start with the end goal being collecting data which is
analyzed in order to state a conclusion which either supports or
disproves the hypothesis. Many different researchers will then test
the same hypothesis and if the hypothesis remains supported it can
become a theory, thought it continues to be tested.
o Every scientific field uses the scientific method in their research for
example, a biologist could be doing an experiment on the effect smoke
has on lungs in mice. In order to start the research, a hypothesis must
be thought of so a conclusion can later be stated. On the other
spectrum, linguistic anthropologists also use the scientific method
with their study of how language affects culture. They have a
hypothesis that through observation and interviews, a conclusion is
formed. Although both fields have different research both wouldn’t be
able to do any research without the scientific method.
o This activity demonstrated the use of the scientific method with the
lectures of natural selection pre-lab for the background research to
help us come up with a hypothesis which then led us to start the
experiments, recording our data about the frequency of each “beak.”
When all our data was collected, we analyzed it deciding based on the
data if our hypothesis was rejected or supported. With the lab report,
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Tessa Huecksteadt
Natural Selection Lab Report
Human Origins-Anth 1020
February 6, 2015

our work is published with graphs and tables helping other
researches who replicate the experiment come up with a hypothesis.
o Evolution by natural selection states that there are certain mutations
or characteristics that occur that can either is favorable or
unfavorable depending the environment that, if favorable, will lead to
that creature having more offspring rather than an unfavorable
characteristic, which will cause the creature to die off. Any favorable
characteristics, can start as mutations, and must be able to be passed
reproductively. Variety is also necessary so there can be unfavorable
and unfavorable characteristics, which then leads to competition
weaning out the unfavorable characteristics.
o This activity supported the theory of evolution by natural selection by
having variety with the different instruments and with the timer
instilling competition and the 3 losers and 3 winners represent the
creatures that didn’t get a favorable characteristic and died off, while
the three winners were able to reproduce, get favorable instruments,
and continue to survive and win. The different frequency at the end of
the last round, shows how the unfavorable characteristics continued
to shrink in frequency, due to the loss of those instruments, while the
favorable characteristics continued to increase because those
instruments continued to be used or those beaks were passed on
through offspring.
References
1. Grant, P., & Grant, R. (2002, March 20). Ecological Character Displacement in Darwin's Finches.
Retrieved February 7, 2015, from http://www.sciencemag.org/content/227/4690/1056.full.pdf
2. Grant, P., & Gibbs, L. (1987, January 1). Oscillating selection on Darwin's Finches. Retrieved February
7, 2015, from
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/232757877_Oscillating_selection_on_Darwin's_finches
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