Pogil Evolution and Selection
Pogil Evolution and Selection
Pogil Evolution and Selection
Why?
People make choices by selecting options they like best. The natural world also “selects” (although not as
a conscious decision) when environmental conditions allow organisms with a particular genetic trait to
live healthier lives than other organisms. In this activity, we will explore how selection affects populations
over time.
E. coli bacterial
variants from culture
Variant P
Variant Q
Variant R
Varient S
E. coli culture
from swab
of desktop
4
3. What variants of E.coli are found on the dish grown without triclosan?
4
4. Refer to the dish in Model 1 with the medium that included triclosan.
a. What variants of E.coli are found on the dish grown with triclosan?
1
b. What likely happened to the other variants of E.coli on the dish with the medium containing
triclosan?
They were not able to survive and reproduce.
6. Suppose the desktop swabbed earlier was cleaned with a solution containing triclosan. Would
living E.coli remain? Support your answer.
b. Is it likely that the bacteria in the new swab were on the desk 9-months ago, or are they off-
spring of the original bacteria?
It is likely offspring of the original bacteria. This I because these bacterial are immune
against triclosan, and these bacteria might’ve survived.
c. Propose an explanation for the presence of only variant S on the desktop after so much time.
Variant S might have a tiny bit of the triclosan, and learned how to defend itself against it.
Kind of like how the human body protects itself against the Covid-19 Disease.
Read This!
Populations of most living organisms exhibit genetic diversity among individuals. Certain traits in a
population give some organisms a greater chance of survival than individuals that lack these traits. Because
these traits tend to increase the chance of survival, these individuals may produce more offspring that will
also have the trait that favors survival. Over time, the number of individuals within the population pos-
sessing the favorable trait increases while the number of offspring with the favorable trait decreases.
It
90
Percentage of Moths Captured
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10 Light moths
Dark moths
0
1800 1850 1900 1950 2000
Years
the trees would change their color to better hide inside of the smog, and so the
Moths would follow suit.
the smog would’ve lifted, giving the moths another chance to become lighter colored.
§ Dog
Gray Wolf
Red Wolf
Coyote
§ – Artificial selection
Read This!
The events that lead to changes in groups of organisms are called selection by evolutionary biologists.
Charles Darwin (1809–1882) is the person credited with carefully outlining how various changes in
populations of organisms might occur through time. He called this process natural selection. Humans
participate in selection through selective breeding of plants and animals. This is referred to as artificial
selection.
18. Is the selection that led to the development of wolves and coyotes an example of natural selection
or artificial selection? Explain your choice.
Natural because there was no selective breading, and it would’ve taken many, many centuries to create
another species, comparatively to the artificial that would’ve taken weeks
19. Refer to Model 1. Is the selection leading to changes in the E. coli variants natural or artificial
selection? Explain your choice.
Artificial because you are interfering with the other bacterias from forming, where you
are killing them!
20. Two differences between red and gray wolves is their color and size. What environmental condi-
tions might have resulted in selection for red wolves and gray wolves?
Maybe the gray wolves live in a soot covered area, and the red wolves could live near a
volcano (or mars, I don’t know any places that are red)
21. Refer to Model 2. Is the selection of moths that blend in to their environment an example of
natural or artificial selection? Explain your choice.
Natural because the moth’s evolutionary chance comes with changes in the environment.
23. Many popular products from hand soap to clothing advertise that they have antibacterial quali-
ties. Most microbiologists recommend against their routine use in our daily lives. How can you
explain this using your knowledge from this activity?
Most likely, these antibacterial qualities can cause people to be exposed to bacteria and
this would make them susceptible to diseases and more.