1. Animal Traits and Behaviors that Enhance Survival
The following link references activities and information on ecosystems and natural selection from our PEER website:
Copyright 2010:PEER.tamu.edu

2. What We Are Going To Learn:
What are traits?
Inherited vs. Learned
Response to stimuli
Evolutionary Adaptations
Natural Selection and Selective Breeding
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3. What is a Trait?
Write down on your own paper what you think a trait is. You may give an example as well.
When the teachers tells you to, share your definition with your neighbor.
Discuss what you both have written down and re-write your definition if you and your partner come up with something better.
Allow students time to think about the word trait. They should write down a quick definition. This is a quick think-pair-share step to generate student thinking. Allow students to share their results!!!!

4. What is a Trait Cont.? Did you come up with something like this?
A characteristic of some organism, like how it looks or acts.
Can be passed down from parents to offspring = (inherited)
Can be learned
Allows organism to survive and reproduce in its environment in which it lives.
Add this information to your definition if you do not have it.
Allow students to ask questions or share ideas for clarification. You will go further with your discussion on the following slides.
Be sure students make the conclusion that all organisms are adapted to live within the ecosystem they are found in.

5. Inherited vs. Learned What do we mean when we say inherited?
Whom are traits inherited from?
How are they passed down?
Give some examples of things you inherit:
Looks…
Behaviors…
Allow students to be active in this lesson. Many of these topics have been covered in previous grade levels.
We want students to talk about heredity and DNA here. Make sure students understand that how a thing looks and is built is inherited through DNA as well as some actions – Instincts are inherited as well. Students must be able to distinguish between instincts and learned behaviors.
Their traits enable them to live in their environment!!!

6. Learned Behaviors What are some things you are NOT born knowing?
List some items you must learn and share with a partner to see if you come up with some similar or different ideas.
Share your thoughts with the teacher.
Students at times get learned behaviors and instincts confused. Let them relate behaviors to themselves and then relate the talk to animals as well.
Wolves have instincts to eat prey animals, but they must learn from the pack leaders how to become successful hunters!!

7. What are Some of the Inherited Traits Seen Here and What are They Used for?
Traits that are passed down from parents to offspring are inherited and passed down through DNA. These hereditary traits can be looks, actions, body style/build…why are those traits passed on in animal species? Why are different traits passed on to different species? What purpose do they support?
Answers: Answers may vary, but ultimately the traits that are passed to each species are specific to allow for successful survival and reproduction of that species in its environment.
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8. Animal Behaviors: Learned vs. Instinct:
Discuss the following pictures and label them on your paper as learned or instinct. Some may be both, be able to explain. Be able to share your thoughts on how or why you labeled them.
Elephants- Instinct to travel to water when rainy season hits savannah. Are known to trek hundreds of miles to water holes, each new generation instinctively follows the older elephants and learns the way from the one before it. Instinct to use trunks to drink water and smell out direction of water.
Bears-Instinct to hibernate each winter and leave den in spring. Cubs learn about dens from mothers and will return to dens they have been to before. Bears learn to do tricks with humans.
Raccoon – learned behavior to find food where humans dispose of it due to loss of habitat and natural resources.
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9. A Few More Behaviors to Discuss:
How would you explain the last three pictures on this page? Instinctive or Learned behaviors?
Why?
The chimp is one of few animals the learns to use tools to perform jobs.
The opossum instinctively hides in the grass after hearing a noise.
The orcas perform tricks on demand from learning the behavior the noise wants them to perform. However, there ability to jump out of water like above is a natural talent. They do such movements in the wild when hunting for seals along beaches.
Note: Recently an orca in Florida’s Sea World killed its trainer. You may want to discuss why the orca would have done this, what instincts was it acting on possibly? And can wild animals be kept in a controlled habitat and be expected to perform on command and not react instinctively? This is not meant to upset students, it is a real world situation and teachers are advised to use professional discretion on approaching this topic in the class.
The site below is a great resource on animal behavior:

10. Other Instinctual Behaviors:
Fight or Flight response:
When startled by an outside stimulus the animals instinctive behavior will be triggered.
Those behaviors can be to run, hide, or stand your ground and fight
Discuss the following pictures with class. What was the possible outside/external stimulus that may have triggered the response seen in the picture?
Answers: the elk are battling over dominance of the female heard in the area, NOT because of the motor cycle and car. Male elk instinctively fight for dominance for breeding rights.
This rabbit is obviously startled and their instinct is run and escape danger.
Badgers are instinctively aggressive when startled. They are equipped with extremely sharp teeth and claws and will fight to try and protect themselves.
Fox jumping is a cute picture showing the cleverness and problem solving skills of such animals. Fox and coyote are very adaptive to external situations/stimuli. This fox chooses the quickest shortest route form one bale of hay to the next.

11. Some Other Behaviors:
Living in herds and packs vs. living solitary lives
Three reasons to live in herds or packs:
1. Protection from predators
2. Hunting packs- more efficient at capturing prey
3. Reproductive Efficiency – mates found within pack or herd
The next few slides on behavior are referenced from the veterinarian presentation; they are added because they have good, relevant information.
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Other solitary animals: jaguars, orangutans, leopards, eagles
Notes: Read the slide and discuss

12. Solitary Lives: Why do some animals live solitary lives?
Some animals live alone because there are not enough resources to support more than one animal in the territory (i.e. food, shelter, etc)

13. Predator vs. Prey:
Most prey animals live in social groups, packs, schools (fish), herds, for protection, finding of resources and reproducing;
Some do live solitary lives. Where these animals live determines how they live…can you look at the pictures below and conclude why?
Some prey animals react to a predator very differently from other prey animals.
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Notes: read slide and discuss
The following link has a good interactive game that can be done with students to help them understand the differences between some predator and prey behaviors:
Rabbits: Freeze in the presence of a predator, and will try to hide as soon as possible.
Horses:
Run away from predators.

14. Predator vs. Prey continued:
Predator animals can either live solitary lives or live in packs.
They live in packs not for protection like prey animals, but for easier hunting, and reproducing.
Some predator animals do live in social or family groups as well (such as chimpanzees and apes).

15. Behavioral Differences Between Male And Female Animals?
Female animals: tend to take care of the young, can lead the herd/pack and be the hunters/gatherers of the pack/herd and watch/listen for danger.
Male animals: In some cases lead, watch for danger but in most cases they must fight off other males who may want the females of the pack/herd for reproducing and thus the passing on of his traits. The stronger male wins, which means the stronger traits get passed on.
Alpha Females:
Lions: hunters, take care of young, will fight off males to protect their young.
Wolves: Alpha female: chooses den site, also shares some responsibilities with the alpha male.
Mares: Is the dominant animal in the pack, she takes the lead when they move and is responsible for the safety of the herd.
Alpha Males:
Lions: defend the territory for control of the females for reproduction.
Wolves: Alpha male: in charge of all activites such as hunting, bonding activities, feeding,
Stallion: brings up the rear of the herd and keeps them together. Also looks out for predators, goal is to add new babies to herd, fights off other males.
Non alphas make up the rest of the pack. They are sometimes the babysitters, must wait for alphas to have fed first, they are basically there for the reproduction pool and the extra protection or hunting skills.
Allow students time to brainstorm some other behaviors they may know of the are different between males and females. ,
Notes: Discuss difference between males and females and Discuss how that role is sort of reversed in horses.
There are Alpha males and females in all packs/herds. What is the difference between them and non-alpha animals?

16. Changes Over Time!! Evolutionary Adaptations
What can cause changes in animal behaviors or genetic traits?
This is another opportunity to let students ponder the answer to this question and allow for open discussion before presenting it to them.. Prompt them to think out climate changes, losing habitat, food sources, water, shelter. How will the animals get these things and if they are not able to adapt? What will happen to that species if they can not adapt? They will perish and possible become extinct.
Possible Answers: loss of habitat to humans building, loss of habitat due to domesticated farm animals, or in the sloth changes due to a dramatically changing environment since the end of the ice age. Giraffes necks grew longer to be able to eat from higher areas where there was less competition from other herbivores. Animals must change to meet the changes in their habitats!!
Also remind them or encourage them to reason that with decrease in habitat and resources creates more competition amongst species. This will lead to possible extinction of species as well.
Examples of animals that have adapted over time: elephants trunks, giraffes necks, horses size and speed, raccoons food sources, coyotes as well. Why did these animals need to change?

17. Changes Over Time Continued:
Evolutionary Adaptations are the changes that occur over long periods of time.
Adaptations are changes made by organisms in response to the environment. (external stimuli)
If an organism can survive without needing to change/adapt anything about itself then it will. Example, armadillos, many insects, fish…
However, some organisms must adapt to environmental changes or risk the chance of extinction.
The word evolution is a term students should have heard but may have forgotten. Allow them to discuss this term and what is means in reference to the plants and animals on the planet.
External stimuli – outside source that causes some sort of action or activity, not originating from within the organism first.
Ask students if they know of some specific animals that have been on the planet in their current form for many many years. Allow for discussion on why this is the case. Ex, sharks, alligators, crocodiles, cockroaches, whales…many others.
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18. What are some specific adaptations seen in these pictures, and what are their purposes for that organism?????
Examples to encourage students to think about:
What animals have adaptations to encompass Camouflage? Discuss why the white fox is white and why the red fox is red for their biomes = both are camouflaged for the environment in which they are most active in. Camouflage is designed to hide the animal, to allow it blend in with its environment. Both predators and prey can have camouflage adaptations. Let kids come up with some other animals that are camouflaged too.
What do fish have that we do not? What makes birds special? There are many animals and plants that can be discussed. Students should pick up on this pretty quickly.
Top left – clown fish and sea anemone
Bottom left – piranha
Top middle – woodland toad
Middle middle – poison frog
Bottom middle - boreal owl nests in a balsam fir tree
Top right – cactus
Bottom right - hawk
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19. Animal adaptations allow animals to live effectively within their environments. Do all of these pictures represent that statement? Why or Why Not?
Allow students to discuss the pictures above with a partner or as a whole class discussion. Do the animals represent what appears to be a sensible or successful variation or does it appear to be a rare mutation of some sort? Why do they think so? They should justify and conclude their reasoning.
Let students discuss how each adaptation is geared for a specific purpose. Lots of time can be spent talking about adaptations. Reference the slide and topics with the fox again.
Deer: mutation, white is definitely NOT going to help this deer blend in to its environment!
Finches: adaptations, each beak is designed to perform a specific job!
Mole: adaptations, he has strong and large claws for digging. He is also blind because his nose is supersensitive and he feels and smells where he is going underground, he can not see!!
Shark: adaptations, so many cool adaptations, this one deserves to be studied!
Frog: mutations, multiple legs is not part of the original design!

20. Within an Ecosystem:
Organisms that live together within an ecosystem are all competing for the same resources.
However, their specific adaptations allow them to be specialized in their niche and therefore reduce the competition for resources in some way.
Example: Giraffes eat from tall trees instead of the shorter ones where all other animals eat. Zebras eat from the top part of the grass Wildebeest eats the leaves, Gazelles eat the rest of what's left.

21. Adaptation vs. Mutation: What is a Mutation?
When a new/different genetic trait first appears in an organism it is often looked at as a “mutation”.
Note: Not all “Mutations” are bad. When they are caused by “Gene Shuffling” it just means something different than what is normally expected, was passed on to the offspring due to the large amount of DNA combination possibilities.
These slides are here to help differentiate to the students the difference between birth defect types of mutations and a possible new trait that may be able to be passed on and produce a new species. Abnormal mutations will not increase likely increase the chances of an organisms survival.
Since there are many traits within a species at times a trait that is not the dominant one may be passed on to the offspring. IF this trait reduces the species survival chances, like a red fox being born in the arctic, then the red color will not be passed on in that environment and therefore will continue to be a recessive trait that may be passed on randomly.
If a new trait appears in a species that it can be called a possible mutation, but if it allows the species to survive and thrive then it will be passed on and may be the start of a new breed of that species, like the finches of the Galapagos Islands.
Mutations can be completely new traits that benefit an organism and therefore become a new trait, or they may be something that is completely unhelpful to that organism and therefore is not passed on. If the new trait decreases the rate of survival for that organism then it will be called a random mutation because it will not be passed on.
If the mutation does not help the survival of the species than that particular animal with the mutation will die out and the gene for the mutation will not be passed on therefore it will not become a new adaptation.
Discuss the two pictures. The Red fox is found in many deciduous forest biomes, but would not survive in the arctic biome. Why? What mutation turned adaptation did the arctic fox develop to allow for it to survive in the arctic? A mutation can simply be a recessive gene that gets passed forward. If a mutation does not help the species survive and thrive then it will simply go away or stay recessive when the particular animal carrying it dies. The gene only becomes stronger and dominant if it benefits the animal species ability to survive in some way.
Red fox will hibernate in winter time in deciduous forest. Arctic fox will hunt during winter months in arctic. Its coat gets a little browner in arctic summer, not much just slightly to blend a little better with the mix of ground and snow that covers the tundra.
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Which fox is best suited for the environment it is in? Why? Are these adaptations or mutations? Why?

22. Adaptations/Mutations:
If the “mutation” allows for the organism to survive and reproduce it may become a new trait and in fact it may create a new species with those traits being important/necessary for their survival.
Competition for resources and the ever changing environment calls for organisms to change if they are going to survive and continue in the future.
The tapir is a member of the same family as the horse and the elephant. Tapirs are mammals. They produce one, and in rare cases two, live babies after a thirteen-month gestation period.
Tapirs are herbivores, and play an important part in their habitat as seed dispersers, making them a keystone species for many plant species

23. Adaptation/Mutation Continued:
If a mutation is caused by some sort of outside interference like air pollution, then severe mutations can occur and they may in fact be harmful to the organism.
These types of mutations are different than a gene shuffling mutation caused by the different DNA possibilities of the parents without such outside interference.
This is talking about more of the dramatic mutations that students may think of when they hear the word mutation, like 3 legged frogs, or two headed fish. This is different than say a white deer, which is a possibility but rare due to the fact that white does not help the deer blend in to its environment well. It will not be the gene passed on more than the brown color.
To read more about such things as air pollutions causing genetic mutations read this article:
Piglet story:
A piglet was born with three eyes and two mouths. The piglet was among eight newborn piglets at Liu Dingsheng's farm in Chongren County, Zhejiang province. A local vet said the abnormality may have been caused by genetic mutation or feed pollution. China suffers heavily from environmental pollution.

24. Adaptation/Mutation Student Break:
Put your thinking cap on!
Take a moment and come up with some examples of possible mutations that are due to interference with the growth of the organism and what the causes may have been and come up with some examples of mutations caused by gene shuffling that may get passed on as a new trait.
This can be a classroom activity, homework activity or an extension activity. Feel free to move this slide to any position in presentation.

25. Just Some Cool Animals You May Not Know About: What do you think their adaptations are for?
Mongolian Mickey Mouse!
The following links will give you information on the animals above:
Bask Shark!
Purple Frog!
Look them up and check them out!

26. Natural Selection: These pictures show variation in species in big cats and owls.
Natural selection is considered to be the biggest factor resulting in the diversity of species (speciation).
Natural selection is one of the basic mechanisms of evolution, along with mutation, migration, and genetic drift.
There is variation in traits which results in a diverse population of species. The environment can't support unlimited population growth of all species, particularly if they are all in the same ecosystem competing for the same resources. Therefore not all individuals get to reproduce to their full potential. Natural selection takes place when the
surviving species proves to be the one best suited for the environment. Therefore whatever those traits are, are continually passed on.
The following link references activities and information on natural selection from our PEER website:
Examples:
Only the strongest and fastest cheetahs are going to survive.
Male lions compete for their prides. The strongest lion wins therefore those genes are passed on to offspring.
These are just two examples of the strongest will survive. It applies to animals that must depend on camouflage and stealth as well. Plants must survive the environment and be able to reproduce as well. Students can be encouraged to research many other types of animals and what traits are looked at as beneficial to be passed on to ensure survival.

27. Natural Selection:
All organisms need to reproduce to survive. The successful organisms pass on the genetic information of the surviving species from generation to generation.
This 'weeding out' of the less suited organisms and the reward of survival to those better suited led Darwin to conclude that species evolve at different times and places and his survival of the fittest theory.
This slide give a very formal and detailed explanation of natural selection. After the conversation the last few slides have generated students should be able to hear/read this information and understand it. Allow for more discussion if any confusion still exists.
As a consequence of this, a changing environment would mean different characteristics would be favorable in a changing environment. Darwin believed that organisms had 'evolved' to suit their environments, and occupy an ecological niche where they would be best suited to their environment and therefore have the best chance of survival.
As the above indicates, those alleles of a species that are favored in the environment will become more frequent in the genomes of the species, due to the organisms higher likeliness of surviving as part of the species at large

28. The Galapagos Finches: An Example of Natural Selection
DNA data indicate the origin of Darwin’s finches from a single ancestral species.
The most important differences between species are in the size and shape of their beaks, and the beaks are highly adapted to different food sources.
Let students observe the different beaks and their intended use. Let students explain why the shape of beak would be beneficial for its niche/or way of getting food.
Darwin's finches are an excellent example of the way in which species' gene pools have adapted in order for long term survival via their offspring.
The Darwin's Finches diagram above illustrates the way the finch has adapted to take advantage of feeding in different ecological niche's.
Their beaks have evolved over time to be best suited to their function. For example, the finches who eat grubs have a thin extended beak to poke into holes in the ground and extract the grubs. Finches who eat buds and fruit would be less successful at doing this, while their claw like beaks can grind down their food and thus give them a selective advantage in circumstances where buds are the only real food source for finches.
There are important differences in behavior and song melodies of the finches as well.
The adaptive evolution and specialization of Galápagos Finches

29. What is Selective Breeding?
Thoroughbred Horses - bred for speed!
Angora Rabbits - bred for soft fluffy fur. Used in clothing.
Breeders of animals and plants in today's world want to produce organisms that will possess the most desirable characteristics. What are desirable characteristics?
So how do you think they make plants and animals with all the best characteristics?????
Present this slide to class and allow them to answer the questions first. They are probably exposed to selective breeding in some way.
Ask them what fruits and vegetables are bought at the grocery store? How do people breed horses and cows to get speed, high meat yield, a certain color…do they leave it to chance or do people pick and choose who the parents are?
Possible Answers: high yield crops, crops that are resistance to disease, fast growth rate, fastest horses, finest hair for rabbit…and many other characteristics that will benefit the organism and species in the long term.
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Thoroughbred Horse breeding is very selective. Each breed has specific traits found desirable by the people who use them, so mares and studs are chosen to be crossed based on producing offspring that has the best of the both the parents.
Angora Rabbits, bred for the best fur.
Corn hybrid versions are made for sweetness, fast growing, drought and flood resistance.
Cattle, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, birds, chickens, and rabbits are just a few kinds of animals that are involved in selective breeding.
All of the meat and produce, grains and dairy products in the grocery store have been exposed to selective breeding in some way. Farmers are trying to get the best product in the quickest way possible. This allows them to get their product on the shelf where it can make them money as quickly as possible.
Corn – new hybrids created to be high producing, drought resistant, and disease resistant.

30. Selective Breeding:
Cattle like this are used to increase beef production.
This process of selecting the “best” parents is called artificial selection or selective breeding.
Specific plants or animals with specific traits are crossed to get offspring with the same desirable traits.
Some selective breeding can change things about a species. Like this cauliflower that has had color bred in to it.
Selective breeding has allowed us to increase the efficiency of the animals and plants we breed, such as increasing milk yield from cows by continuously breeding selected cows with one another to produce a hybrid
Please note that selective breeding must be carefully monitored and performed correctly. Continuous in-breeding and selective breeding of particular genes runs the risk of losing some of the other genes from the gene pool altogether, which is irreversible.
Also, these type of processes would have high odds of occurring naturally under natural selection given enough time.

31. In Conclusion:
Adaptations can be both how an organism looks and how it acts.
Adaptations are how a population becomes better suited to live in its environment. They can be random at times and thus called mutations at first.
Natural Selection – Organisms with the most favorable traits survive in the natural environment and reproduce most successfully.
Selective Breeding – People picking only the traits they like to be passed on.
Happy Adapting!!!
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