Study questions
The following questions
are intended as a guide to help you focus your studying. You must, however,
do more than memorize the answers to each of these questions. You need to
understand the material and be able to discuss the concepts in your own words.
Use active study techniques as much as possible (i.e., you must do more than
just read over your answers many times). It may help in reviewing
the lab activities to study together with your lab group.
back to Study Aids
Natural Selection Simulation
1. Review the steps we used to conduct the natural selection simulation. How
were the numbers of predators and prey calculated for each new generation?
2. Review how to construct the graphs depicting the changes in predator and
prey populations over time. Be able to interpret new graphs showing the results
of similar simulation experiments.
3. Review the results we obtained in the natural selection simulation. Be
able to explain and discuss the results and conclusions of the experiment
we conducted, and relate the results to a natural predator-prey relationship.
4. Review the answers to the discussion questions in the handout.
5. Evaluate the exercise as a simulation of natural selection. Was it effective
in simulating how natural selection works in the real world? Did it improve
your understanding of the process of natural selection? How might the simulation
be modified to make it more “accurate”?
