Natural Selection Gizmo | ExploreLearning

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Michal Kreiselman

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Natural Selection

You are a bird hunting moths (both dark and light) that live on trees. As you capture the moths most easily visible against the tree surface, the moth populations change, illustrating the effects of natural selection.

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Assessment Questions (5):

Which of the following statements best describes what will most likely occur to the moth populations in the image below?
- A. The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of dark moths will rise.
- B. The light moths will be captured by predators more easily than the dark moths, and the population of light moths will rise.
- C. The dark moths will be captured by predators more easily than the light moths, and the dark moths will probably go extinct.
- D. The light moths will change their wing color to match that of the dark moths.
What is the most likely explanation of the data shown below?
- A. There has been a drought in the area that is affecting all life forms.
- B. The population of natural predators of the moths has gotten smaller.
- C. The moths are living in an environment with light trees.
- D. The moths are living in an environment with dark trees.
The pair of total population graphs below display the results of two different five-year hunting cycles, one on light trees and one on dark trees. How do these results demonstrate natural selection?
- A. The moth populations shown here demonstrate random fluctuations over time that are not explained by tree color.
- B. The moths that are a different color than the trees in their environment thrive over time due to camouflage, and their populations increase.
- C. The moths that are the same color as the trees in their environment thrive over time due to camouflage, and their populations increase.
- D. The graphs actually show a result that is opposite of what is expected from natural selection.
Suppose a certain species of insect lives in the lush green canopy of the rain forest. Some of the insects are bright green in color, and some are bright yellow. Assume there is a natural predator of the insect in the area. What do you expect to happen to the populations of the green and the yellow insects over time?
- A. The green insect population will increase and the yellow insect population will decrease.
- B. The green insect population will decrease and the yellow insect population will increase.
- C. Both insect populations will remain constant over time.
- D. Both insect populations will increase over time.
Natural selection can operate on predator populations as well as on prey. Suppose that over time trees became covered in lichen and the proportion of light moths increased to nearly 100%. What is the most likely consequence for predator populations?
- A. Bird populations will decrease, at least for a while.
- B. Over time, birds with better eyesight will become more common.
- C. Birds may change hunting strategies or seek other sources of food.
- D. All of the above.

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