Name: ______Date: ______Period: ______

BeetleIsland

(a tale of Natural Selection & Extinction)

On a remote island in the center of the largest ocean lived a population of beetles. The beetles came ina variety of different colors; some were bright purple, others were yellow, some were green, and so on. There were seven different color variations in all. Each beetle variation was a master at camouflageand would hide out on a native flower or tree that was the same color as the beetle was.

Over many years, the environment of the island began to change and the temperatures began to _increase___. The ____ increase______in temperature affected the ___pink______flowering plant as it needed to remain at a constant 80 degrees and the island’s temperature was now higher/lower. Due to the loss of this flowering plant, the ____pink___ colored beetlecould no longer camouflage very well and was eaten up by the many native birds.

The environment ofthe island continued to change over the years, but due to the changing temperature, the precipitation began toincrease . The __increase_____ inprecipitation was notwell suited for the _____red______flowering plant. Due to the loss of this flowering plant, the _____red______colored beetle could no longer camouflage very well and was eaten up by themany native birds.

Oh no! Due to the changing environment, new species of birds have begun to migrate to our islandand brought other insects which have devoured the __dark green______& ___lime green______floweringplants. Due to the loss of these flowering plants, the dark green_____ & ___lime green______coloredbeetles could no longer camouflage very well and were eaten up by the many native birds.

Over many years, the flowering plants on the island that have died off and have left open areas that otherflowering plants have filled in. The ___orange____ flowering plants were over taken by the rapidgrowth of the others. Due to the loss of this flowering plant, the ___ orange____ colored beetle couldno longer camouflage very well and was eaten up by the many native birds.

The native Bloda plant has not adapted well to the changing environment on the island and has slowlybeen dying off. The __yellow____ beetle only feeds on the Bloda plant and has not adapted tofeeding on other vegetation on the island. Due to the loss of the ___yellow____ beetle’s only sourceof food, it has died off.

Analysis: (Answer in Complete Sentences)

The theory of Natural Selection has 5 Parts:

  1. The organisms in a population have small differences or VARIATIONS.
  2. These variations make some organisms better ADAPTED to their environment.
  3. The best adapted organisms end up SURVIVING.
  4. They will now REPRODUCE and pass on the helpful trait (genes).
  5. Over time, many of the organisms in the population have the trait. We say the population has EVOLVED or changed.
  1. DEFINE - Use the theory above to define the following terms.
  1. VARIATION –differences among organisms or species
  1. ADAPTATION –an inherited trait that allows an organism to survive in its environment
  1. SURVIVAL –to continue to live, not die or be eaten
  1. REPRODUCTION–procreate, have babies
  1. EVOLUTION –gradual changes in a species over time
  1. IDENTIFY - What factors in the environment affected the process of natural selection?

HINT: Think of the different environmental factors in the story which caused the beetle population to evolve certain traits.

Temperature, precipitation, migration of birds/ insects, predators

3. EXPLAIN -Explain why all the beetles went extinct at the end of the story.

They weren’t well adapted to their new environment, couldn’t find shelter from predators, couldn’t new food source

4. INFER - What if a mutation occurred in one beetle’s DNA that led to a brand new GOLDcolored beetle. How might this new beetle be best adapted to the environment? Think of an instance in which gold color may be helpful and explain.

If it lived in the sand, on gold colored flower, hidden in sunshine

5. APPLY - An island has a population of MANY green beetles and very, very FEW dark brown beetles. Currently, BeetleIsland is full of many green plants that allow the green beetles to stay camouflaged and survive the best. However, a severe drought is causing the green plants to die leaving nothing but bare, brown soil. Explain how the beetle population may change over time using the theory of natural selection. Make sure uses the 5 key words in question #1.

There were variations of beetles: green and brown. The brown beetles were better adapted to survive where their habitat is mostly brown. They were able to reproduce and the population evolved to be mostly brown beetles.

Lab