Microevolution

This webquest focused on the term microevolution- a term defined in the webquest.  Luckily, this webquest was a short one *enter praising emoji*.

“Microevolution

PART 1: EVOLUTION 101

–Go to http://evolution.berkeley.edu/evolibrary/article/evo_36 and proceed to the definition of microevolution page.

1. How do the authors of this page define microevolution?
Evolution on a small scale, with a single population/change in gene frequency.

2. How do they define a population?
Population is species that come from the same gene pool and breed with one another.

–Read the section “Mechanisms of Microevolution”

3. Summarize each of the 4 mechanisms of microevolutionary change that are discussed.
-Mutation: random change/ change in allele frequency
-Migration: other species of another population immigrated/emigrated
-Genetic Drift: random choosing of the right genetics forming together
-Natural Selection: adapting the best to environments and reproducing

–Click here for examples of microevolution and read the examples provided.

4. Summarize the 3 examples of microevolution that they present.
-The body size of house sparrows can determine where it lives. Bigger bodied birds are able to survive in lower temperature, causing for a larger population in the northern states.
-Global warming allows creatures who use warmer weathers to reproduce and prepare for the cold season to do those tasks for a longer period in the year. The shorter days and quicker times of nightfall give mosquitos cue to when to go dormant.
-Bacteria (like E. Coli in a previous blog post) resisting antibiotics.
PART 2: SEX AND THE SINGLE GUPPY

Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/sex/guppy/index.html

Use the simulation to test different hypotheses about why some guppies are very brightly colored even though that makes them easy for predators to find.

Why do some guppies tend to be drabber than others?

-It depends on the part of the stream that the guppies lived in.  Further up stream were bright on their sides while downstream guppies had drab with bright splotches on their tails.

Why do some guppies tend to be more colorful?

-Where there is less predators and a greater chance of survival, that is where the more colorful guppies reside.

What role does color play in guppy survival?

The more drab guppies tend to survive where there are more predators.

Explain the push and pull that the environment (including predators) has on the
coloration of guppies in Endler’s pools.

Guppies who are centralized in a more hazardous environment with more predators adapt to be more drab to survive being killed.  In Endler’s case, these are the guppies downsteam.  Whereas, the guppies upstream are able to be more bright and attract mates due to the lesser number in predators.

”