NAME_________________________ DATE____________ HOUR_____________

BIOLOGY ONE – VARIATION WITHIN A SPECIES

EVOLUTION - 4

PURPOSE: To quantify the variation within a population of grasshoppers

MATERIALS NEEDED: A number of grasshoppers, small rulers, data table on front board

PROCEDURE:

    1. Obtain a tray of grasshoppers.
    2. Organize your grasshoppers by laying them out on paper towels. Number the towels just below the grasshopper so that each grasshopper can be identified by number.
    3. Measure the length of the upper leg of each of your grasshoppers. (The area of the leg that is comparable to our thigh.)
    4. Record your results in Data Table One.
    5. When finished, write your results on the data table on the front board. Separate your data from other groups by naming your group and then indicating a grasshopper number. For example: My data might read, GO-HAWK – 1……..15mm.
    6. Total all of the classes data and record the classes results in Data Table Two.
    7. Make a line graph of the classes data (Data Table Two) using the computer.

 

 

CONCLUSIONS:

  1. What was the longest measurement in the class?_______________________

    2.  

  2. What was the shortest measurement in the class? _______________________

    3.  

  3. What was the mode of this data. In other words, what length appeared the most number of times in all of the grasshoppers? Since most of the grasshoppers have this thigh length, it must be a good thing. What possible advantage might this give them.

    4.  

     

     

  4. Brainstorm three ways thigh length might affect a grasshoppers life.

    5.  

     

     

  5. How might the affects discussed in number four change depending on the length of the grasshoppers thigh?

    6.  

     

  6. Which differences in grasshoppers due to their thigh length might be beneficial to them?

    7.  

     

     

  7. Which differences in grasshoppers due to their thigh length might be detrimental to them?
  8. Lets assume that having very short thighs makes the grasshopper a weak jumper. How might this benefit the grasshopper. How would this be detrimental to the grasshopper.

    9.  

     

     

     

  9. Lets say that a grasshopper that has a very long thigh is a good jumper but has poor control of where it is jumping to. How might this affect the grasshoppers ability to avoid predators. How will this affect the grasshoppers ability to find the kinds of plants that it likes to eat?

    10.  

     

     

  10. What does variation among a species mean?

    11.  

     

  11. What types of variation among the species might be evident in butterflies?

    12.  

     

     

  12. What types of variation among the species might be evident for wolves?

    13.  

     

     

  13. What type of animal or plant has a large degree of variation among its species? Give an example of the variation.

    14.  

     

     

  14. What type of animal or plant has almost no distinguishable variation between members of the species?

 

 

DATA TABLE ONE – MY DATA
DATA TABLE TWO – CLASS DATA