Students will be able to analyze data quantitatively and develop testable models of
that data.
I took biology 388 Evolution and to understand the modes of evolution we used M&M’s to model different species on a fictional island. We took a “predator” who would randomly eat different M&M’s and see which “species” were left by color. We then did another one where the predator would only prey on specific species of M&M’s by color and see how the different alleles would be gone or continue to breed. We counted what was left after both of the experiments and hypothesized how the different species would either be wiped out or survive.
Evolution was not a side of biology that I was very familiar in before this class. In high school we talked about the basics, but it is much more complicated than I thought. While this was a simple experiment, I think it allowed me to really dive deep into what can happen to species randomly and through natural evolution. I think this opened my mind to different areas of study and how they are integrated together. Doing this factored in with genetics and how alleles would be infected by different predators preying on specific “species” than others.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sTLDbwdD_OJHNMi_6qDspKEgFpX3F_R5/edit