Survival of the Fitter: Simulating Natural Selection in a Predator-Prey Dynamic

This 4DEE aligned lab activity uses a variety of beans and silverware to simulate natural selection using a predator-prey model. Three types of beans represent the variation of a prey population whose survival is dependent on how easy or difficult they are to capture by predators represented by forks, knives, and spoons. Students work in small groups to mimic multiple generations of predator-prey interactions. Each group conducts the simulation twice, in each simulation changing the predator. For each simulation, they collect and interpret data on prey variant survival and make graphs to visually represent the information. They data allows them to observe how predator–prey interactions can cause an adaptive change in the prey population. Furthermore, they discern how changes in the predator design, impacts differential survival among the prey variants. Students compare their group’s data to that of other groups, and address discussion questions linking the simulation to ecological and evolutionary concepts. This activity is suitable as a lab investigation for an undergraduate non-major audience.