After you have graphed your data, answer these questions. Make sure that all answers are neatly and completely answered in complete sentences.
Describe how the number of red, pink, and white love bugs changed over the period of 5 years. Discuss how your data compares to the class data.
Predict what would happen to the number of white m&m’s if you had continued predation for a total of 10 generations? Use evidence (data = numbers) to support your prediction. Hint: They will NOT become extinct!
Discuss which type of love bug Darwin would consider “most fit” in this predation situation; the red, pink, or white m&m’s? Use evidence (data = numbers) to support your position.
Predict what changes in the population would occur if the predation changed and began to prefer red love bugs instead? Discuss why these changes would occur.
What type of natural selection is occurring in this lab? (directional, stabilizing, or disruptive selection)
Based on the graph, the number of red love bugs steadily increased over the period of 5 years, while the number of pink love bugs remained relatively constant, and the number of white love bugs decreased. This shows that the red love bugs were the most successful in terms of population growth. In comparison to the class data, our data was consistent with the overall trend, but there may have been some variation in the specific numbers.
If predation had continued for a total of 10 generations, it is likely that the number of white love bugs would have continued to decline, but they would not go extinct. This can be supported by the decreasing trend shown in the data over the 5-year period. Even though the decrease was not drastic, it suggests that predation had a negative effect on the white love bugs, and this trend would likely continue over additional generations.
Darwin would consider the red love bugs to be the "most fit" in this predation situation because their population consistently increased over time. The evidence from the data supports this conclusion as the number of red love bugs was the highest among the three colors.
If the predation changed and started to prefer red love bugs instead of white love bugs, it is likely that the red love bug population would decrease while the white and pink populations might increase. This is because the red love bugs would be at a disadvantage due to the change in predation preference, while the white and pink love bugs would experience less predation pressure and have a higher chance of survival and reproduction.
The type of natural selection occurring in this lab is directional selection. This is because there is a shift in the population towards one extreme phenotype, which in this case is the red love bugs. The graph clearly shows that the red love bug population consistently increased while the white love bug population decreased, indicating that there is a directional selection occurring favoring the red love bugs.