Biología

Lab #6: Predator–Prey Interactions
This exercise illustrates how different populations interact within a community, and how this interaction can influence the process of evolution in both species.The relationship between a predator (you) and a prey species (beans) will be used as an example. It should help you to understand how certain physical characteristics that confer an advantage tosurvival can come to predominate in a population. These advantageous characteristics are called adaptations. An adaptation aids survival by either decreasing a prey's chance of being eaten, or by increasinga predator's chance of obtaining food to survive and reproduce. Summary of Activities 1. Hunt for 1 minute, using the available foraging tool. 2. Count up your individual kills and add them to theclass totals. 3. Calculate reproduction of the next generation. 4. Repeat foraging process for up to four generations. § Each student in our class will be a member of the predator population. You willhave one of three different physical characteristics for capturing prey. One group will hunt with teaspoons, one group will hunt with soupspoons, and one group with forks. This is the foragingequipment you were "born" with. You all have the same mouth, which is a paper cup in your other hand. The prey population, consisting of three different types of dried beans, will be scattered in an areaoutside. The biological success of the predator species will depend on your ability to collect energy resources, or food. This will be measured by counting the number of beans you are able to pick upduring the foraging period. The survivability of the prey species will depend on how many beans survive and escape capture. Materials: • Red beans, white beans, pinto beans • Plastic forks • Plasticteaspoons • Plastic soupspoons • Paper cups Procedure: 1. Begin hunting when you are given the signal. The prey must be picked up with the fork, teaspoon, or soupspoon and placed in the cup. Only one...