Natural Selection Comic Strip
Species have the potential to increase in numbers exponentially.
I.
Populations are genetically variable due to mutations and genetic recombination.
(Draw a population of organisms of your choice. For example, I might draw 10 tree
frogs. Some of my tree frogs may be bigger than others, due to crossing over, aka genetic
recombination, some of my tree frogs will be smaller than others due to genetic
recombination, and two of my tree frogs will have a mutation that makes them yellow
instead of green.)
***Label the organism with a mutation as “mutated.”
II.
There is a finite (limited) supply of resources required for life.
(Draw the same organisms as above, and add some food or shelter for your population,
but the food or shelter should not be enough for all of your organisms.
III.
Changing environments select for specific genetic phenotypes.
(A frog eating owl flies into the area and can see only the green phenotypes, so he eats all
of the green frogs. I would show my owl eating the green frogs here.)
***Label the surviving organisms “best fit.”
IV.
Those organisms with favorable adaptations survive, reproduce and pass on their
alleles.
(The only frogs left in this slide are yellow. I would now draw baby yellow frogs coming
from the two surviving yellow frogs.)
***Label the surviving organisms
“surviving phenotype.”
V.
The accumulation and change in favored alleles leads to changes in species over
time.
(I would now draw the entire area below full of yellow frogs living happily ever
after…until a yellow frog-eating owl moves in…hehehehehe!)
Now, summarize your comic by writing a paragraph describing what happened to your population. Use
the steps listed above (in bold) to help with your explanation. RELATE the steps to your population
though!!!