Origami Bird Lab Names: Date: LT: I can use a simulation to model and explain how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time. In this lab, you will study the Egyptian Origami Bird (Avis papyrus), a fictitious bird found in the arid desert regions of North Africa. Only birds able to fly long distances between the sparsely spaced oases will be able to find the food (palm tree fruit) and water necessary to survive and reproduce in the harsh desert environment. You will track several generations of Origami Birds, noting which traits lead to increased survival rates. Materials: 3 straws Tape Paper Scissors Ruler Procedure: 1. Build the parent bird by: a. Cutting two strips of paper, each 3 cm x 20 cm. b. Loop one strip of paper with a 1 cm overlap and tape to make a complete loop. c. Repeat for the other strip. d. Tape each loop 3 cm from the end of the straw. Refer to the diagram above for accuracy. 2. Your parent bird has laid eggs! Each Origami Bird lays a clutch of three eggs. 3. Record the dimensions of each chick and hatch the birds using these instructions: a. The first egg contains a chick that is identical to the parent. In the interest of time, you may substitute the parent when testing this chick. b. The other two chicks have slight mutations that have influenced a specific trait. For each chick, flip your coin and throw your die to determine how the chick is different. i. The coin flip determines where the mutation occurs: the head or tail end of the bird: Heads = head end (the end of the bird that is not held in your hand when throwing) Tails = tail end (the end of the bird that you hold in your hand to throw) ii. The die throw determines how the mutations affect the physical traits. 1 = The wing moves 1 cm toward the end of the straw. 2 = The wing moves 1 cm away from the end of the straw (towards the middle). 3 = The circumference of the wing increases 2 cm. 4 = The circumference of the wing decreases 2 cm. 5 = The width of the wing increases 1 cm. 6 = The width of the wing decreases 1 cm.
iii. Lethal (deadly) mutations: A mutation which results in a wing falling off the end of straw, or in which the circumference of the wing is smaller than the circumference of the straw, etc. is lethal (kills your chick because of a disease associated with the mutation). Fortunately, Origami Birds are known to double clutch when an egg is lost. If you should get a lethal mutation, shed a small tear for your lost chick and roll again. 4. Test how well each of the three birds fly, by throwing them in the designated location. Release the birds with a gentle, overhand pitch. It is important to apply the same amount of force each time. 5. Test each bird twice. The most successful bird is the one which can fly the farthest. Have your partner help track which bird flies the farthest on average. 6. Mark which chick was the most successful on the table. The most successful bird is the sole parent of the next generation. You may tear off and recycle the rings from the unsuccessful birds to start again. 7. Continue to breed (each time one of your chicks is identical to the parent and 2 chicks have mutations), test, and record data for as many generations as you can in the time allotted. 8. Use the data table on the last page to record the results of your coin flips and die throws, the dimensions of all chicks, and the most successful bird in each generation. Analysis (answer these questions after gathering data): 1) Did your experiment result in better flying birds (could fly further)? Why? 2) Charles Darwin describe four factors that he believed drove natural selection (the change of species over time). After each factor, describe how it was modeled in this lab activity: a. Variation exists amongst a species. Explain how variation was produced in the activity and compare/contrast this with the variation produced within a species in nature. b. Organisms compete for limited resources. What resources were limited in this activity?
c. More offspring are produced than can survive. How was this modeled in this activity? d. The environment determines (selects) which traits are beneficial. Which trait was most important for survival in this activity? 3) Compare your youngest successful bird (most recent) with your neighbor s youngest bird: a. What is similar about your birds? b. What is different about your birds? c. Why are there similarities and differences?
4) Predict the appearance of your youngest bird s descendants if... a. the selection conditions remain the same and the longest flying bird survives to produce the most offspring. b. the selection conditions change and the worst flying bird survives to produce the most offspring. c. the selection conditions change and the bird whose color blends with its environment survives to produce the most offspring.