Determining the affects of natural selection on gall fly (Eurosta) larvae from different predators
Ariel O’Neil
Biology 1020H
Abstract
This lab was done with the objective of determining if directional selection causes early larvae death in the gall fly. By first examining the parasitoid wasp and birds predatory actions we can hypothesize and predict the smaller galls will be most likely to survive directional selection. To figure out if this is true or not a large variety of goldenrod galls were collected from an open field and examined. Once the information of all the galls was recorded it was then graphed. This revealed that there was no correlation between gall size and larvae death. One can conclude the results did not support the hypothesis and prediction.
Introduction …show more content…
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is quite simple but often misunderstood (Understanding Evolution). The easiest way to understand this idea is by realizing what an organism needs to survive. Many traits of different organisms like animals, insects, and even humans have all evolved and are still evolving to be able to fulfill their essential needs. The dominant gene is what is passed down to an organism’s offspring. This gene could change a trait that helps an organism to survive (Dorken et al. 2016). For example a bird’s beak may be longer or shorter depending on how they can attain food in the location they reside. Natural selection has different branches to it; the one studied in this lab is called directional selection. Directional selection is when an extreme phenotype is favoured over other physical alleles (Reece). The directional selection that may be present within this study is if gall size determines if the larvae is dead or
Ariel O’Neil
Biology 1020H
Abstract
This lab was done with the objective of determining if directional selection causes early larvae death in the gall fly. By first examining the parasitoid wasp and birds predatory actions we can hypothesize and predict the smaller galls will be most likely to survive directional selection. To figure out if this is true or not a large variety of goldenrod galls were collected from an open field and examined. Once the information of all the galls was recorded it was then graphed. This revealed that there was no correlation between gall size and larvae death. One can conclude the results did not support the hypothesis and prediction.
Introduction …show more content…
Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection is quite simple but often misunderstood (Understanding Evolution). The easiest way to understand this idea is by realizing what an organism needs to survive. Many traits of different organisms like animals, insects, and even humans have all evolved and are still evolving to be able to fulfill their essential needs. The dominant gene is what is passed down to an organism’s offspring. This gene could change a trait that helps an organism to survive (Dorken et al. 2016). For example a bird’s beak may be longer or shorter depending on how they can attain food in the location they reside. Natural selection has different branches to it; the one studied in this lab is called directional selection. Directional selection is when an extreme phenotype is favoured over other physical alleles (Reece). The directional selection that may be present within this study is if gall size determines if the larvae is dead or