Monstrous Mutations Lab

Addy Bachtle

February 26, 2020

Period 5
Introduction:

Mutations affect survival skills and natural selection. Some hereditary

mutations which are passed down can lead to evolution. Over generations the

organism could change completely to adapt to mutations. Natural selection

passes down the mutations that are beneficial, if the mutation didn’t help than

its less likely to be passed down to the next generation. Organisms create

many different characteristics for mutations. Some mutations make things

easier or make things harder. Such as long fingernails, no fingers, lack of

peripheral vision, fused hands, fused feet and ankles, no arms, arms fused

together, blind, and many others. Organisms with these mutations have to be

able to do everyday things like running, hunting, walking, eating, ect.

Mutations can make the process of gathering, storing, retrieving, or

consuming food more difficult or easier. Natural selection is the favorable trait

that chooses to get passed to the offspring through genetic mutation. In each

generation more organisms are produced than what reproduces. Those who

achieve success in reproducing are the fittest. Then their genes and mutations

will be passed down for the next generation (Lister 2019).

Purpose:

The purpose of this lab was to observe how mutations affect survival skills

and natural selection. We tested this with groups simulating 8 different

mutations in the process of gathering and consuming food.

Materials:
- Nine dry gummy life savers (per group)
- Paper Towel
- Table
- Cup
- 15 plastic knives
- 6 pairs of goggles
- Cotton
- Stop watch
- Large roll of duct tape or masking tape
- String
- Paper bag containing letters on slips of papers
Procedure:

To start the procedure for this lab you have to form groups of 3 in the

classroom. The students will simulate eating gummy lifesavers as a source

of food in the wild. First, the students need to start at their home base. The

home base and the other location will have paper towels laying down

provided for the food. You have to wait for the teacher to commend go, and

then quickly gather the food one at a time. Each person can only grab one

life-saver each turn. Every person should go 3 times. The students will

transfer the gummy’s from the location where they were at, to their home

base. Once all students return to their home location and everyone has

gone, each will eat 3 as fast as they can. Time will then be recorded for

each mutation simulation.

Data and Results:

Figure 1 4th Hour 5th Hour

A- knives for fingers - -
B- fist hands 2:08 0:56
C- no peripheral vision - -
D- fused hands 1:25 1:06
E- fused ankles 2:37 1:15
F- no arms 1:59 1:35
G- hands behind back 1:18 2:10
H- blind - 3:15
Each mutation affected them in different ways. Also this data may be more
accurate if we did it more than once and tested the same person.

Overall Discussion:

Natural Selection evolves many different ways through genetic mutations.

In this lab experiment we were able to conclude that the trait/mutation that

is best fit for the environment is no peripheral vision. This isn’t the best

mutation but it can be worse. You can see straight but are unable to see

from the sides, which is a target for being hunted by prey. Traits that
benefit organisms greatly could be scaly skin, talons, or fins and bones.

The trait that was least fit for the environment was being blind. Being blind

takes away almost everything. If an organism is blind they are greatly

defeated. The time in this experiment was over 3 minutes, while the other

mutations were only a minute or two. Evolution can’t be stopped unless

extinction occurs. Scientists say that humans are the most evolved.

Random mutations have been produced by different offspring. Natural

selection carries the traits that are beneficial. When conditions change,

some species inherit adaptations that allow them to survive and reproduce,

while others do not. Over many generations, if the environment changes

slowly enough the species will evolve to the necessary mutations. We have

observed how mutations affect survival skills and natural selection

throughout this experiment.

Sites:
https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/mutationsanddisorders/evolution

Hill, Lister. “How Are Gene Mutations Involved in Evolution? - Genetics

Home Reference - NIH.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National
Institutes of Health, 11 Feb. 2020,
ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/mutationsanddisorders/evolution.

https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/evolution6.htm

Brain, Marshall. “How Evolution Works.” HowStuffWorks Science,

HowStuffWorks, 25 July 2001,
science.howstuffworks.com/life/evolution/evolution6.htm.

https://medium.com/philosophistry/are-humans-the-most-evolved-species-8
f8c6027e0e1