Something’s Fishy STUDENTS’ GUIDE

Introduction
Evolution is a change in genetic information that occurs in a population that is observed over many generations. While
populations can change, individuals within a population can not. In this simulation you will examine the traits of a
population of fish living in a pond to determine if the population is changing over time. As you work, you will focus on
two distinct questions:

Did the population change over time (evolve)?

If evolution occurred, what mechanism contributed to the change in the overall population?

Two important mechanisms contribute to evolution:

● genetic drift - a process by which the genetic traits in a population change due to the random chance survival and
reproduction of particular individuals
● natural selection - a process by which individuals with certain genetic traits are more likely to survive and pass
on those traits to their offspring, making those traits more common in the population

To explore evolution in action, you will be using a computer simulation to observe many generations over a short period of
time. Given that we have identified that populations change over time. Discuss with your partner(s) the value of using a
simulation rather than studying a population in the wild. Write your ideas in the space below.

Let’s look at the Simulation

Follow your teacher’s directions to open up the Evolution activity simulation.

Scroll to Webland (the black area with a green square in it). This represents a pond that is home to populations of
fish and algae. Make sure the Algae Clumpiness is set to 8. Click Create Yellow Fish. Look at the ‘Algae
Population.’

1) Describe how the algae is distributed across the pond (for example, is the algae all together in one spot, spread
across the pond evenly?, etc.).

Hopefully you noticed that the algae is not evenly distributed in the pond. It is clumped in various areas around the pond.
In this, and all of the simulations you will run today, the fish eat algae to gain energy*,

1
In this simulation, the fish:
● gain energy when they eat the algae in the pond.
● lose (use) energy by swimming and reproducing.
● reproduce only when they have stored up enough energy.
● die if they run out of energy or if they get too old.
● produce offspring that are genetically identical to themselves.

* Energy is a term we use to represent what you gain when you eat. For example, energy is measured in calories. You
need to use energy for movement, work and play, and for building strength and endurance. You also need energy from
food to grow and mature into an adult.

2
Experiment 1: Uniform Population of Fish in a Pond: Yellow Fish

In this first experiment, you’ll observe a situation in which all the fish in the pond are uniform (exactly the same) in appearance and
inherited traits. We will be trying to decide if the population of the fish are evolving.

Follow your teacher’s directions to open up the Evolution activity simulation files.

Scroll to Webland (the black area with a green square in it), and make sure the Algae Clumpiness is set to 8. Click
Create Yellow Fish. Look at the ‘Algae Population’ counter and the ‘Yellow Fish’ counter. The simulation should
now be populated with 495 algae and 48 yellow fish.

Click Run for 30. Once the clock stops, record the number of yellow fish and the number of algae for this first trial in
Table 1 below.
Record your observations of what happened in the model using text, drawings, symbols, etc in Table 1 below.

🖊 Table 1. Yellow Fish and Algae Surviving after 30 seconds in multiple trials. Your goal is to better understand how the
model works and how the fish survive and reproduce. This information will help us understand if the fish population is
evolving.

Use a table with these headings, and decide the number of trials to run.
2) 🖊How many trials will you run? Explain why you chose that number of trials?

3) 🖊 Fill in the table. Add as many rows as you need based on the number of trials you plan to run.
Trial # # Yellow Fish at 30 # Algae at 30 seconds Observations
seconds

Remember, the yellow fish in the simulation are all exactly the same in terms of their inherited traits and their
appearance. Every yellow fish (or ‘agent’ in the simulation) also follows the same instructions (also called
‘procedures’ in the simulation).

4) 🖊 Were your results for each trial the same? If not, why do you think this might be? [Hint: click on
Create Yellow Fish a few times and look carefully at how the yellow fish are distributed in the pond each
time you start a new trial.]
3
5) 🖊 Did this population evolve?

4
Observing Fish movements

Before continuing to Experiment 2, let’s experiment a bit more with the model. Focus on how the fish in the model
pond interact with their environment. Slow the engine speed down and look closely at
how the fish interact with the algae. You can run the simulation as many times as your group decides
is sufficient. It can be helpful to pick one fish to observe each time. Be ready to share out your
observations with the class.

5
Experiment 2: Multi-Color Fish with Uniform Traits
In the next simulation, the population is composed of fish of several different colors. As before, all the fish,
regardless of their color, have the same traits. In this case, color is only a visual difference and has no effect on
the survival or reproduction of the fish.

6) Predict if you think evolution will occur in this simulation based on the starting conditions. Explain the
reasoning for your prediction.

a) If it is natural selection what will happen to the fish in the simulation?

b) If it is genetic drift what will happen to the fish in the simulation?

c) If it is a combination of natural selection and genetic drift what will happen to the fish in the
simulation?

Before we begin, make sure the “Algae Clumpiness” is set to 8.

Click Create Multi-Color Fish. Look at the counters on the left side of Webland and record the starting
number of each color of fish in the “Initial Number of Fish” column in the table below.

The simulation is programmed so that there are the same number of each color fish at the start. But remember, as
in the last experiment, since the fish are born in slightly different places and move randomly, each fish has a
slightly different life even though they are genetically identical except for color.

Click Run for 60 and observe the simulation as it runs.

When the simulation stops, look at the fish counters again and record the numbers of each color of surviving fish
in the Run 1 column in Table 2 and record what you observe happening throughout the run in the space below.

6
We are now going to begin using the simulation to figure out if evolution is occurring. In order to do this, we will run the
simulation and collect data. Before we begin, decide how many trials your group will run. We will be looking to see if
different colored fish are surviving at different rates under these conditions. You can refer back to the previous data you
collected when making this decision.

7) How many trials will you run? Explain why you chose that number of trials?

8) Fill in the table. Add as many columns for “Number of Surviving Fish” as you need based on the number of trials you plan
to run.

Survivor Color Initial Number Number of

of Fish Surviving Fish

Red

Yellow

Turquoise

Magenta

Observations:

🖊 Compare your process and results with another group’s. Be sure to compare the results for all the different runs.

9) Did you run the same number of trials? Were your reasonings similar for the number of trials you ran? If
no, how were they different?

10) How are your results similar to theirs? How are your results different from theirs? How can you
explain any variations in your results?

11) Which color(s) of fish survived and was most plentiful for each of your group’s runs? Which color(s) of fish
survived and was most plentiful for each of the other group’s runs?

7
 12) Why in one run is it possible for one color to become more plentiful than the others if all of the fish have
exactly the same traits and behaviors?

Group Discussion

Having collected data from multiple runs and compared results with your classmates, did the fish population
evolve? Choose Claim A, B or C and then provide evidence and reasoning to support your claim?

🖊 Our claim is… (select one)

Claim A: No, the fish population did not evolve.
Claim B: Yes, the fish population evolved due to genetic drift.
Claim C:Yes, the fish population evolved due to natural selection.

🖊 Our evidence for this is…

🖊 Our reasons are that..,

8
Experiment 3: Designing your own experiment
Multi-Color fish with Variable Traits (Different Reproductive Strategies)
In Experiments 1 and 2, we observed how the fish population changed when all the fish, regardless of their color, had the
same genetic traits. In Experiment 3, the color of the fish will now represent a specific genetically determined trait:
Reproductive Strategy.

This trait is modeled by the amount of energy a fish must accumulate before it can reproduce.

Each color fish must store up a different amount of energy in order to reproduce. The offspring of each color of fish are also
born with different energy reserves. Look at Table 3 to see the different traits for each fish.

Table 3. Reproductive Strategies

Reproductive Color Energy Units Needed Energy Units Passed

Strategy to Reproduce On To Offspring

Very Fast Red 20 8

Moderate Yellow 40 16

Slow Turquoise 70 28

Very Slow Magenta 100 40

In this experiment our goal is to now determine if evolution is occurring and, if so, which mechanism (genetic drift, natural selection,
or a mix of both) is in action based on the starting conditions.

Rather than being provided with steps to carry out the experiment, each group will design and conduct their own experiment.

13) Before designing the experiment, develop a prediction. Do you think evolution will occur? If so, which mechanism do
you think will be in action in the simulation based on the conditions (genetic drift, natural selection, or a mix of both)? What
is your reasoning for this prediction?
We predict that the fish type with the slowest reproduction rate will survive, as it will have the highest capacity to store energy taken
in from the algae. This is the magenta fish. The specific trait of slow rate of reproduction gives them an advantage over the other fish
types. Natural selection should take place. This is because the magenta fish alleles will be passed down- the reason for this is that they
are the best adapted.

9
14) With your group, plan out an experiment to test your hypothesis. Describe your experiment in the space below. Be sure to
describe:

a) What data and how much data will you be collecting?

The type of fish that survived at the end
5 trials

b) Why did you decide to collect that particular set of data?

5 is a sufficient number, we can hence identify anomalous results, and get accurate results (by taking an average)

c) What do you expect to see in the data if only genetic drift is in action?
There will not be any specific trend or pattern seen- the results will be scattered

d) What do you expect to see in the data if only natural selection is in action?
We will be able to see a particular trend in the results

e) What do you expect to see in the data if a mix of both genetic drift and natural selection is in action?
The genetic drift will be favoured, and there will be no specific pattern followed. If there is a particular pattern, there
would be weak correlation seen and the trend will not be clear.

Conduct your experiment

Before you begin your experiment, we need to set the initial conditions for this experiment.

Scroll back to Webland. Make sure the “Algae Clumpiness” is still set to 8.

Click Create Multi-Trait Fish. Look at the counters and record the initial number of each color fish in the table below.

10
15) You can now run the simulation to conduct your experiment. You can use the blank table below to record data. Feel free to modify
the table if you need additional rows or columns.

🖊 Table 4. Multi-Trait Fish in Clumped Algae Data

Colour of Initial Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

fish number

Red 12 0 0 0

Yellow 12 0 0 0

Turquoise 12 0 25 0

Magenta 12 71 0 50

Observations:

16) Describe the results of your experiment. Did evolution occur? What mechanism did you determine was in action
(genetic drift, natural selection, or a mix of both)? How did you make that determination?

Yes, evolution occurred. It was due to natural selection. A trend in the results could be seen. There was an anomaly in the
5 trials we ran, but 4 trials showed us that only magenta fish survived out of all the types. This indicates that natural
selection took place- the magenta fish with the slowest reproductive strategy survived, as they had a lot of energy stored in
them due to the high supply of food. They could wait long enough for the other fish to die off, and continue to reproduce
and grow; reach the food without depleting the energy and continue to survive. The advantage was that they had a bigger
energy reserve as they reproduced very slow. Hence, they could survive for longer. This means that they were better
adapted-they suited their environment the best and could use the food stores efficiently, making the most of them in order
to evolve. Thus, natural selection took place.

17) Compare findings with another group’s. How were your experiments and results similar or different?

Most of the group results were similar. However, there was one group with many anomalous results.
Hence, their conclusions drawn were different as well. The conclusions for the other groups were highly
similar.

11
 Group Discussion
As a class, we now need compare all of our experiments/results and come to consensus about
what mechanism is in action (genetic drift, natural selection, or a mix of both).

As a class, we need to decide if evolution occurred. If it did occur, what mechanism was in
action (genetic drift, natural selection, or a mix of both).

12
In-Class Evolution Activity Extensions

Experiment 4: Multi-Trait Fish in Spread-Out Algae Environment

Under the conditions you have seen so far, algae have grown in clumps. You saw that some fish’s reproductive
strategies were more successful than others’ in this pond environment. Now, we will change the pond
environment. We will make the algae grow so that it is evenly distributed across the pond, instead of distributed in
clumps. What do you predict will happen to the overall population of fish in the pond over time when the algae is
evenly spaced out?

🖊 Discuss with your group which reproductive strategies will be more successful than others in an environment
with algae that is spread-out. Write your thoughts down here.

🖊 Based on what you have observed in the simulation, predict which color fish will persist the longest in the
population? Explain your thinking.

13
Testing Your Hypothesis
Scroll back to Webland and set the “Algae Clumpiness” to 1.

Click Create Multi-Trait Fish. Record the starting number of fish in the first blank column in Table 7
below.

Click Run for 90 and observe. Click Run for 90 again without resetting the simulation (DO NOT click the
Create button again). Has one color fish dominated the pond (killed most, or all, of the other colors of fish)? If
not, click Run for 90 a few more times until this occurs. It is likely that the clock will need to run to around 300
before this occurs. Record your observations in the Table 7 below. Repeat the run (click Create Multi-Trait
Fish, then Run) once or twice more if you have time.

🖊 Table 7. Spread-Out Algae Fish Data

Survivor Color Initial Number Run 1: Number Run 2: Number Run 3: Number
of Fish of Surviving of Surviving of Surviving
Fish Fish Fish

Red

Yellow

Turquoise

Magenta

14
🖊 In Table 8 below, indicate the survival rankings of the colors of fish that survived by putting a 1 in the box of the color
fish with the greatest number of survivors and a 2 and 3 for the runners-up.

🖊 Table 8. Survivor Rankings after When Algae is Spread Out

Survivor Color Run 1 Run 2 Run 3

Survival Rankings Survival Rankings Survival Rankings

Red

Yellow

Turquoise

Magenta

🖊 Which color fish becomes most plentiful now? Which reproductive strategy was this color fish using? Why do
you think this reproductive strategy is beneficial?

🖊 Has the fish population evolved? If so, which contributing factor of evolution, genetic drift or natural selection,
was most important? Explain.

🖊 Compare your results from Experiments 3 & 4. Were the surviving fish the same in each experiment? Did the
different pond environments impact which fish were more likely to survive? Explain why or why not.

Individual Fitness & Evolutionary Success

15
🖊 Fitness can be defined as reproductive success. Based on what you observed in the simulation, how do genetic
traits and the environment contribute to fitness?
🖊 Describe how individual fitness contributes to a population’s evolution.
Antimicrobial resistance is a major threat to world health. Antimicrobials are often prescribed by doctors to treat
any number of different kinds of bacterial, fungal, or parasitic infection. As you learned during the simulation,
variation exists within populations.

Such is the case that in a population of bacteria causing human infection, like staphylococcus aureus that causes
staph infection, some individuals are resistant to the antibiotic treatment methicillin.

One of the main causes of antimicrobial resistance is when antibiotics are over prescribed.
a) Use what you have learned and refer to specific evidence from this simulation to develop an argument
that identifies if this problem is the result of genetic drift or natural selection.

b) Evaluate the evidence you identified in part a to support your claim. How confident are you (e.g.100%,
50%, 25%) that your understanding is correct?

16