GENETICS INTERNET ASSIGNMENT
Artificial Selection
Part One: Artificial Selection – Dogs & Corn
On-Line Textbook: Learning Set 3, Sec. 3.7, pgs. 141-143
ALL ANSWERS MUST BE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES - THESE ARE NOT SHORT ANSWER
QUESTIONS.
NO CREDIT WILL BE GIVEN FOR ANSWERS THAT ARE NOT WRITTEN IN COMPLETE
SENTENCES.
THE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE NOT DIRECTLY IN THE BOOK – YOU
HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THEM.
1) Read the first paragraph on page 141. Explain the difference between natural selection and
artificial selection.
2) Why did people want to have wolves living with them?
3) If you were living 10,000 years ago, would you have wanted to have wolves living with you?
Include in your answer a discussion of the wolf traits that might have been important for your
lifestyle.
4) As humans spread around the world, they needed wolves to do different jobs. Explain.
5) Many years ago wolves were bred with certain traits that were useful to the people who
needed them. Eventually these wolves (which humans bred) had offspring and over many
years this population evolved into dogs. Explain the difference between the traits that humans
are looking for now compared to many years ago.
6) Pretend that you want to create a new type of dog. Describe the process that would probably
be required to create a new breed of dog that has black fur and long legs.
7) Why is the term artificial (rather than natural) selection a good way to describe the process
where humans breed animals for traits that they want them to have?
8) According to the textbook, plants have also been artificially selected. Corn is an example.
What does the textbook mean by “People began to grow corn in a monoculture….”?
9) What is the difference between maize and teosinte?
10) Explain why you might prefer to grow maize rather than teosinte (the positive things about
maize).
11) Explain why growing maize might cause some problems (the negative things).
12) Why would a scientist want to cross traits of teosinte and maize?
Part TWO: Artificial Selection – Bird Breeding
On-Line Textbook: Learning Set 3, Sec. 3.8, pgs. 145-147
1) T/F: Only natural selection causes changes in the traits of a population.
2) T/F: Species created by artificial selection are well adapted to survive on their own in the
environment.
3) Do dog breeders use natural selection or artificial selection? EXPLAIN.
4) In the simulation we are going to do in class, what are you going to breed?
5) T/F: In the simulation we will do, we are following in the footsteps of Gregor Mendel. EXPLAIN
6) What is one thing about the breeding simulation we will do that is not true about real life
breeding?
7) Besides the sex, what are the four traits that fantasy birds can have?
8) People will only buy our fantasy birds if they are male and have which four phenotypes?
9) What are the genotypes of those four desirable phenotypes?
10) Are the four traits dominant or recessive?
PART THREE: NetLogo Bird Breeding Simulation
A. Go to the on-line textbook Learning Set 3, Sec. 3.8, page 146
B. KEEP PAGE 146 OPEN FOR THE REST OF THIS BIRD SIMULATION
C. There are two version of Net Logo software on your desktop. Double click on the regular one not the 3D version.
D. When the program is open, click on file in the top left corner. Then click on Models Library. At
the bottom left of screen do a search for Bird Breeder (NOT Bird Breeders) and double click on
it to open up this simulation.
E. Turn the “show-genetics?” switch to ON, click Setup and then click Go
Slightly down from the top left corner of the Bird Breeder Simulation there is an instruction box. Read
through the instructions and type your answers to the 10 questions below in your Google Doc.
1) What are you trying to breed in this selective breeding program?
2) How many players are in this program? Which one are you?
3) How many cages do you have? How many birds to start with?
4) How many breeding locations (sites) are there?
5) How do you move male and female birds into the breeding locations?
6) After the eggs are laid, how do you make them hatch?
7) If you are running out of space in your cages, how can you set a bird you don’t need free?
8) How much money do you start with and how much do you need to earn?
9) Every time you breed two birds, how much does it cost you?
10) If you want to breed with birds from another player, what do you do? How much will this cost
you?
Bird Breeding Rules - READ THESE DIRECTIONS BEFORE YOU START
A. Even though there are 6 breeding sites, you may only breed one pair of birds at a time.
This means you only have 4 eggs for each generation. Once you have bred the pair of birds
and opened up the eggs to see what is inside, PrtScn and paste it into your Google Doc so I
can see what you did for this generation. YOU MUST DO THS FOR EVERY GENERATION.
B. Before you breed any pair of birds you must predict what the babies will look like. This means
you must complete Punnett Squares for each generation. Ask teacher for a Punnett Square
Worksheet when you get to this part so you can record your predictions.
C. When you have all three Goal Birds, press PrtScn and paste it into your Google Doc.
Part Four: NetLogo Dragon Breeding Simulation
1) The rules are the same as for the bird breeding but you don’t have to do Punnett Squares
2) The Goal Dragon is: fire-breathing, white breast, red body, rope tail (tail without a point).
3) When you have all three Goal Dragons, press PrtScn and paste it into your Google Doc.