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Look Who's Coming for Dinner: Selection by Predation

Image of a lizard from the activity

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Data Analysis

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Card Activities

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Used In
1 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
41 Users
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Description

In this activity, students formulate a hypothesis and collect and analyze real research data about how quickly natural selection can act on specific traits in a population as a result of predation. It is accompanied by a short video that describes the experiment this activity is based on.

Using measurements from a year-long field study on predation in which Dr. Jonathan Losos and colleagues introduced a large predator lizard to small islands that were inhabited by Anolis sagrei, this activity illustrates the role of predation as an agent of natural selection. It emphasizes that strong selective pressure can have measurable effects on trait variations in a population within a short time. After watching the short film The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree, students use a sample of research data from actual field experiments to work through this four-part activity:

  • Part 1: Introduction of the field study and formulate a hypothesis.
  • Part 2: State the hypothesis formulated by Losos and colleagues and how they tested it.
  • Part 3: Collect data, perform simple calculations, and answer questions.
  • Part 4: Watch a video on additional findings and answer discussion questions.

The quantitative analysis includes calculating and interpreting simple descriptive statistics and plotting the results as line graphs. The flow of this four-part activity is illustrated in Figure 1 on page 3 of the educator materials.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Make predictions based on observations. 
  • Organize and analyze data by interpreting graphs and performing simple calculations. 
  • Draw conclusions about advantageous traits that are crucial to survival under certain selective pressures.
     

Estimated Time

One to two 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

selective pressure, survival advantage, trait, variation

Primary Literature

Losos, Jonathan B., Thomas W. Schoener, R. Brian Langerhans, and David A. Spiller. “Rapid temporal reversal in predator-driven natural selection.” Science 314, 5802 (2006): 1111. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1133584.

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 06.24.15
Date Updated 04.29.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS2-2, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4; SEP3, SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.C, EVO-1.D, EVO-1.E, EVO-3.A, ENE-4.B; SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.2

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 1.1, 2.1, 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-1.A, ERT-2.A, ERT-2.H, SP1, SP2, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.RST.9–12.9, ELA.WHST.9–12.9
Math.A-REI.3, Math.F-IF.4, Math.S-ID.1, Math.S-ID.5; MP2, MP4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC5; DP1, DP2

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 911 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 463 KB
Island Snapshot Cards (PDF) 2 MB
Anole Assignment Cards (PDF) 984 KB
Selection by Predation Video (MOV) 235 MB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 548 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 396 KB
Lizard Cards - Español (PDF) 5 MB

Additional Materials

  • Lizard Predation Video
  • ruler for graphing 
  • colored pens or pencils (recommended)
  • at least one or two basic calculators
     

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree

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This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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