Breeding Bunnies: DIscussion Questions

1.  What was your original hypothesis?

My original hypothesis was, "If the trait is needed to survive, in this case sparse fur, then over generations, the desirable trait will become more common and the non desirable traits will die out."

2. Based on your lab data, do you need to change your hypothesis? Explain.

No, I did not need to change my hypothesis, because my data showed that the rabbits with thick and normal fur died over generations, while the rabbits with sparse fur survived.

3. Compare the number of alleles for the dominant characteristics with the number of alleles for the recessive characteristics.

At first, the benumbed of dominant alleles and recessive alleles was equal, but as generations passed, the number of recessive alleles decreased.  After the first generation, there was always for dominant alleles.

4. Compare the frequencies of dominant alleles to the frequencies of the recessive alleles.

At first, the frequency of the dominant alleles to the frequency of the recessive alleles was equal.  But by the second generation, the frequency of the dominant alleles was always quite a bit higher.

5. In a real rabbit habitat new animals often come into the habitat (immigrate), and others leave the area (emigrate).  How might emigration and immigration affect the gene frequency of F and f in this population of rabbits? How might you simulate this effect if you were to repeat this activity? 
If a new species of rabbits with different fur comes in, the rate of getting more and more sparse -haired rabbits may slow down.  This other species may become dominant over the sparse haired rabbits as well.  i would have to introduces another type of rabbit, meaning in order to simulate this, I would have to introduce another bean (perhaps yellow).  If enough sparse-haired rabbits leave the ares, then another type of rabbit may dominate the area.  If a completely different species of animal comes into the ares, they could possibly be predators and then the rabbit population might die out.

6.How do your results compare with the clss data? If significantly different, why are they different? 
My results were quite alike to the class because even though their dominant characteristic might have been different, the recessive characteristic eventually died out while the dominant characteristic survived.

How are the results of this simulation an example of evolution? 
One factor needed to evolve is variation.  The variation in this case is the type of fur.  Depending on th type of fur the rabbit has, it will or will not survive.  The main factor that drove evolution in this case was fur type.