Fall 2016 Beak Variation Experiment

1. Introduction
a. Review and evaluate
i. The evolution of Darwins Finches has been studied greatly
overtime since the publication of Darwins theory of
Evolution by Natural Selection. In the latest research their
have been comparisons to the different beak types through
DNA sequencing. To learn where the different beak types
originated from. And what the differences in the DNA are
between the 15 different Darwin finches.
ii. In the article Invasive Parasites, Habitat Change and
Heavy Rainfall Reduce Breeding Success in Darwins
Finches they use the scientific method to determine if the
parasites and heavy rainfall have an effect on the
reproductive success in a couple of species in the Darwins
finches.
During our experiment we test how different beak types
have different success in competition and reproductive
success with in the population. Where in this article they
tested the reproductive success based on heavy rainfall
and an invasive parasite.
b. Hypothesis
i. Chopsticks will decrease in frequency while tweezers
increase in frequency.
ii. After viewing the different beak simulating instruments, I
concluded that students would have an easier time using
tweezers to pick up sunflower seeds then students using
chopsticks.
2. Materials Methods
a. Materials used for this experiment where a number of
instruments to simulate bird beaks including tweezers, hairclips,
clothes pins, chopsticks, chip clips, binder clips and tongs. The
material used to simulate food where sunflower seeds. Small
paper cups where used as collection containers to place the
seeds into. A total of 34 students participated in the experiment
operating the numerous instruments simulating the bird beaks.
b. To begin the experiment, the sunflower seeds are distributed
across the classroom and each student is given an instrument
and cup to pick up the sunflower seeds in the set amount of time
for each round. After each round the sunflower seeds are
counted. The three students with the lowest seed count lose their
instruments and are given the corresponding instruments of the
three students with the highest seed count. For example, in the
first round the three highest beak types where two tweezers and
one chip clip. The three lowest where a clothes pin, chopsticks
and binder clips. Out of the three students with the lowest count,

two were given tweezers and one given a chip clip to replace
their original instruments. This simulated that overtime the more
favorable instrument or beak would increase in frequency within
the population. And the ones with less favorable beaks would
decrease in frequency in population. Tongs where introduced into
round two to simulate the occurrence of a mutation in the
population. And to see if the mutation was a favorable trait.
3. Results of Experiment
Round
Round
Round
Round
Round
Begin
1
2
3
4
5
Tweezers
5
7
8
8
9
10
Hairclips
Clothes
Pins
Chopstick
s
Chip Clips
Binder
Clips
Tongs
Total

6
6

5
7

3
8

3
10

3
9

3
8

6
34

5
34

5
1
34

4
1
34

4
2
34

4
2
34

Population Overtime

Tweezers

Hairclips

Clothes Pins

Chip Clips

Binder Clips

Tongs

Chopsticks

Overtime the favorable beak types increased in population were the

unfavorable beak types decreased in population. The favorable beak types
that increased in population were tweezers, chip clips, and tongs. The
unfavorable beak types that decreased in population were binder clips,
clothes pins, and chopsticks. Hairclips stayed the same overtime and didnt
change in population.
4. Conclusion
a. The hypothesis that chopsticks will decrease in frequency while
tweezers increase in frequency was proven successful in this
experiment. The difficulty of using chopsticks lead to a decline in
their population while the ease of using tweezers lead to an
increase in population.
b. The population of tweezers increased from five to ten through
five rounds. While chopsticks decreased from five to three. So
overtime the favorable use of tweezers leads to the double of
their population. The difficulty of using chopsticks decreased
their population.

c. This experiment will be different every time with different groups.

The ability of each person to use their instrument has a major
impact on the results. Example, I myself am fairly good with
using chopsticks and was successful in surviving all five rounds.
But others where not as good with chopsticks. If everyone was
familiar and good with chopsticks the results might differ greatly.
Chip clips also broke during the experiment leading a decrease
during round three.
d. Replication of this experiment may have some similar results but
most likely will vary depending on the group participating. This
will have an effect on the results, depending on what instruments
theyre familiar with in their daily lives. A group of people who
use chopsticks daily to eat their meals will be more successful
with the chopsticks then a group that doesnt use chopsticks
daily. If the experiment is conducted several times and the
results are closely similar it will validate the experiment in being
successful. If the results differ greatly every time it will disprove
the experiments validity.
5. Discussion
a. The scientific method consists of four steps
i. Hypothesis- to identify a problem and develop a
hypothesis. A hypothesis must be something that is
testable and refutable.
ii. Test the hypothesis conduct an experiment or
observation to collect data to use in testing your
hypothesis.
iii. Conclusion Did the data support the hypothesis or did the
date refute the hypothesis? The data must be analyzed to
determine and answer the hypothesis.
iv. Repeat- Hypothesiss are continually tested and retested
and new hypothesis are formed and tested.
v. All fields of science use the scientific method. Any field that
studies the outcome of results and data, and uses it to
change the steps in a process of creating a product uses
the scientific method.
b. This activity demonstrated the use of the scientific method by
laying out the experiment and then coming up with a hypothesis.
Then conducting the experiment and evaluating the data to see
if the hypothesis was supported or refuted.
c. Overtime, favorable variations increase in frequency in a
population. This is the theory of evolution by Natural Selection.
The four underlying assumptions are Variation, Inheritance,
Competition, and Differential Reproductive success.
Variation is that all species will have groups in the population
with different traits. Competition refers to the limited amount of
food in the environment and the most favorable traits are more

successful and survive. Leading to inheritance, the individuals

with the most favorable trait survive and pass on their traits to
their offspring. Thus the more favorable the trait the more it
leads that individual in the population to reproductive success.
d. This experiment simulated that overtime the most favorable
traits would survive overtime in a population. By taking away the
three lowest instruments each round and replacing them with the
three strongest, we simulated that overtime the most favorable
traits have reproductive success and pass that trait onto their
offspring and increasing their population. This was demonstrated
in how tweezers started at a starting population of six and ended
with a population of ten. While the weak trait being the clothes
pins which decreased from six to only two. So overtime the
favorable variation of tweezers increased in frequency in the
population.
6. References
Cimadom, Arno, et al. "Invasive Parasites, Habitat Change And Heavy Rainfall
Reduce Breeding Success In Darwin's Finches." Plos ONE 9.9 (2014): 1-10.
Academic Search Premier. Web.
26 Sept. 2016.
Lamichhaney, Sangeet, et al. "Evolution Of Darwin's Finches And Their Beaks
Revealed By
Genome Sequencing." Nature 518.7539 (2015): 371-375.
Academic Search Premier.
Web. 26 Sept. 2016.