Natural Selection and Predator-Prey Activities Blog

In the class activity, we were exploring natural selection, predator-prey relations, as well as looking into adaptations within organisms that help them evade predators. In this activity, three different types of prey (beans) were to be “hunted” by predators (students) with three different types of foraging equipment (teaspoon, knife, and fork.)  You would then hunt and acquire your prey and then place the prey in the cup (predator’s stomach.) The predators would begin hunting for a set time. After hunting, the predators with the same foraging equipment then went and recorded there kills to the “accountant” of the group. The people starting with the spoon has the least trouble while those with knives and forks had a much harder time getting food. After the first generation hunt, the animals that starved to death had the opportunity to become a fork or a spoon forager instead, representing reproduction in which adaptation played a role. However, as the generations continue on, the prey began to significantly decrease in numbers, and it became harder for the predators to find food.

            This activity very clearly demonstrated natural selection because the predators with the better foraging equipment were able to flourish within their environment and acquire the amount of food necessary to survive. This activity also demonstrated adaptations because those predators that died off and could not survive with their original foraging mechanism reproduced with the better foraging mechanism for survival.

            Cryptic coloration didn’t have much to do with this activity, but competition, however, played a huge role as the generations got further down the line with adaptation. The more predators with efficient foraging equipment, the lesser the surviving prey. Therefore, the competition between predators rose.

            I found this activity a great activity to do within a classroom to help students understand the concepts of natural selection, adaptation, as well as to make clear the concept of competition amongst predators once the prey pool had shrunk. The cost of the activity overall seems quite cheap, and the activity was fun for me as a college student.