1. Peppered Moth Simulation Introduction: Charles Darwin accumulated a tremendous collection of facts to support the theory of evolution by natural selection. One of his difficulties was the lack of an example of evolution over a short period of time, which could be observed as it was taking place in nature. Although Darwin was unaware of it, remarkable examples of evolution were in the countryside of his native England. One such example is the evolution of the peppered moth Biston betularia. The industrial revolution began in the middle of the eighteenth century. Since then, tons of soot have been deposited on the countryside around industrial areas. The soot discolored and generally darkened the surfaces of trees and rocks. In 1848, a dark-colored moth was first recorded. Today, in some areas, 90% or more of the-peppered moths are dark in color. More than 70 species of moths in England have undergone a change from light to dark. Similar observations have been made in other industrial nations, including the United States. Name_________________________________________________________Date __________ Day 1: Peppered Moth Game I. Background of the Peppered Moth Structural Adaptations These are adaptations to the structure and appearance of the moths Behavioral Adaptations These are adaptations to the way the moths act and behave 1. How can we see genetic variation within our moth population? II. Pollution and Peppered Moths Sketch your Claim: Sketch how you think that the population of moths will change over time. Start with a population of 10 moths. Moth Population Before Industrial Revolution Moth Population After Industrial Revolution ...Over Time... III. Play the Game and Record the Data in the chart! To access the game, go to the link on Canvas, choose the Light Forest and then play the game! Instructions: You will complete the simulations four times, during this time you will play the part of a blue jay that eats moths. After each trial, record the percentage of dark moths and light moths in the table below (“light colored” lichen forest and the dark colored “sooty forest”) Peppered Moth Analysis Data Table Forest Percent Light Moths Percent Dark Moths Light Forest: AFTER Trial 1 Light Forest: AFTER Trial 2 Average forest percentage in Light Dark Forest: AFTER Trial 1 Dark Forest: AFTER Trial 2 Average percentage in Dark (polluted) forest Create TWO bar graphs! ONE bar graph shows the average light & dark moths in the Light forest. The other bar graph will show the average light & dark moths in the Dark forest. Was your sketched claim correct or incorrect? Why? Day 2 Peppered Moth Game Analysis: 2. Based on your data, which moth was best adapted or more fit to survive in its environment AFTER the industrial revolution and therefore able to produce offspring? 3. Natural Selection is a process where an organism that is better suited for its environment survives and is able to reproduce and pass on its favorable traits! Let’s see how natural selection has impacted this population of moths and allowed evolution to take place! a. What factor caused the moth’ environment to change? b. After the environment changed, which moth became better suited with better adaptations for their environment? c. Why did one color die off while the other color reproduced? 4. 500 light colored moths and 500 dark colored moths are released into a polluted forest. After 10 days the moths were recaptured, make a prediction about the amount of each type of moth that would be captured. (Hint: if they are not recaptured, assume that they have been eaten.) Use your prior knowledge to help form a prediction. State prediction here: I think that after 10 days, there will be (more/less) dark colored moths that were recaptured. Graphing the Issue: Examine the table and construct a graph. Plot the years of the study on the X-axis, and the number of moths captured on the Y axis. You should have 2 lines on your graph - one for light moths and one for dark moths. # of # of Light Dark Year Moths Moths Captured Captured 2 180 80 3 170 70 4 150 60 5 120 100 6 110 120 7 100 140 8 90 150 9 80 160 10 50 180 Based on this graph, how would the population of moths evolve after 10 years? Mention how the population’s overall phenotype would have changed!
