Directions: Go to the site listed below to perform an evolution simulation.  For this simulation, you will be able to change two things about the blue organism population: the selection pressure and the mutation rate.

Go through the website in order – read through the introductory information first.  Then, run the simulation using the default settings (selection strength: 0.8, mutation rate: 0.3). Once you have run through the simulation with the defaults, go to the page “Further Experiments” for suggestions on how you could alter the default settings in order to see different results.  Do at least three simulations changing the defaults in various ways.  Once you have finished your simulations, read the rest of the pages on the site (“Exaptations” and “Conclusions”).  Using the simulations that you have conducted and the information on the site, answer the questions below.

Website: “Dr. Saul’s Biology in Motion: Evolution Lab”

Questions

1. Using the default settings, what were the phenotypic frequencies at the following points in the simulation:
   1. 5 cycles
   2. 10 cycles
   3. 20 cycles
   4. 40 cycles
   5. 80 cycles
   6. 160 cycles
   7. 250 cycles
2. Give the phenotypic frequencies at the same cycles for non-default setting #1, non-default setting #2, and non-default setting #3.  Make sure that you explain what the non-default settings are.
3. For each of the four settings (default and the three non-default settings), explain why you think you saw those phenotypic frequencies.  Make sure that you explain the phenotypic frequencies that you observed in relation to mutation rate and selection pressure.
4. Define exaptation.
5. Explain why the evolution of a bird’s wing might be an example of exaptation.