Principles of Natural Selection

1. The individuals within a population differ from one another

2. The differences are, at least in part, passed from parents to offspring
3. Some individuals are more successful at surviving and reproducing than others
4. The successful individuals succeed because of the variant traits they have
inherited and will pass to their offspring

Instructions:
Press play
Press brown fur and add friends.

1. Hypothesize which bunnies would better survive in the arctic environment.

Why?
The white bunnies, because the color of their fur would blend in from the
environment. Making it easier for them to hide from predators.

2. Choose the arctic environment. What happened? Why?

By constantly adding the brown fur as a mutation, there was an unbalanced scale in
the natural selection. The white rabbits kept appearing after generations. This was
because, since the brown ones kept dying and the white ones survived even with a
brown fur mutation. There is a higher survival rate for the white bunnies to mate
and give off offspring to more white ones, with a brown fur mutation.

3. Add wolves. What happened now? Why?

The brown ones died off, the white bunnies lived and won the competition. The
brown bunnies were easy to be seen in the white snow. The white bunnies on the
other hand, couldnt be seen well as they blended into their environment. Since the
brown bunnies were easier to spot, the wolves went after them. Once there was no
more brown bunnies to mate with, the white bunnies reproduced to more white
ones, taking over the population.

4. Reset. Press Arctic. Give the bunny white fur. Add friends. Give food. What
happened? Why?
With no mutation added, the bunnies died. Even if they were in the right
environment to avoid wolves, and food was available. They would overpopulate,
eating all of their food, leaving some of them to die. With no mutation added, they
dont change, but their environment and food do. Maybe it wasnt suitable for them
anymore, which is why they died.

5. Reset. Press Arctic. Click long teeth. Which one is depicted on the chart as a
larger population (long or short teeth)? Why do you think this happened?
Long teeth rabbits had won slightly over the short ones. In the first and second
generations the short toothed rabbits still had the majority. But, once in the third
generation, it went over a little. As mentioned before, the environment may have
changed in favor to the long teeth rabbits in the third generation. Food was more
accessible for them, rather than the short teeth rabbits.

6. Click on long tails. Which one is depicted on the chart as a larger population
(long or short tail)? Why do you think this happened?

The same thing happened like the one before. Except, the environment was in the
equator. Bunnies with snow white fur on the equator would usually die off easily. but
with the long tail being the majority in the third generation, turned out favorable for
them. I think it helped them escape from predators by having long tails.

7. Repeat this experiment (steps 1-6) with the equator environment. Which
parameters allow for a better survival rate? Why?
They need to be in the right environment. Brown bunnies in the equator and white
bunnies in the arctic. But, they each need a mutation to survive. Even with food
around, but no wolves. The environment will change, leaving them behind.
Long/short teeth and long/short tail mutations will help them survive in the
respective environments. Adding wolves to kill off the unfavorable colored bunnies
can also help with reproducing offspring. Kill the brown ones in arctic, white bunnies
mate and overpopulate the area. Kill the white ones in equator, brown bunnies mate
and overpopulate the area.
Answers:

1. Bunnies with white fur would be better adapted to the artic environment and
would survive. Answers will vary.
2. Same as 1.
3. Bunnies with brown fur become extinct, leaving only the white bunnies left.
Answers will vary.
4. The bunnies reproduce and dominate the world! Answers will vary.
5. Bunnies with short teeth have a larger population. Answers will vary.
6. Bunnies with short tail have a larger population. Answers will vary.
7. Answers may vary but brown bunnies with short teeth and tails will have a
better survival rate.