1. Evobots Studying Evolution Using Lego Robots

2. Natural Selection  Natural selection is a process that causes heritable alleles that are helpful for survival and reproduction to become more common, and harmful alleles to become more rare.  This occurs because organisms with “better” alleles pass on more copies of these heritable traits to the next generation

3. Adaptations  Adaptations are the characteristics that give individuals better chances of surviving and or reproducing.

4. Car #1 What is this car adapted for?

5. Car #1 Adapted for s p e e d

6. Car #1 Adapted for s p e e d This Pronghorn Antelope is also adapted for speed.

7. Car #2 What is this car adapted for?

8. Car #2 Adapted for C L I M B I N G

9. Car #2 Adapted for C L I M B I N G This big horned sheep is also adapted for climbing.

10. Car #3 What is this vehicle adapted for?

11. Car #3 Adapted for water and land-- amphibious

12. Car #3 Adapted for water and land-- amphibious This tiger salamander is also adapted for a life in both land and water.

13. Car #4 What is this vehicle adapted for?

14. Car #4 Adapted for safety and protection

15. Car #4 Adapted for safety and protection This desert tortoise is also adapted for safety and protection.

16. Car #5 What is this vehicle adapted for?

17. Car #5 Adapted as a generalist. It’s good at a lot of things but not great at any.

18. Car #5 Adapted as a generalist (speed, protection, climbing…) This coyote is also a generalist. It is medium speed, ok at climbing…

19. Car #6 Toyota Prius (Hybrid)

20. Car #6 Adapted to use less resources Toyota Prius (Hybrid)

21. Car #6 Adapted to use less resources This kangaroo rat also survives with few resources. Toyota Prius (Hybrid)

22. The Ancestral State  This is a photo of the first car, a Model-T Ford.  All the cars we just looked at evolved from this original

23. The Ancestral State All the cars have a common ancestor but are now adapted for different environments. Notice how the Toyota Prius evolved from the Toyota Camry. This is a more recent ancestor for the Prius.

24. A Tale of Intermediate Forms  When looking at a 1909 Model-T Ford and a 2010 Ford Mustang it is hard to see how we got from one to the other– they look so different.

25. A Tale of Intermediate Forms  However, if we look at the history of cars, we get a better picture 19091920

26. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 1909 1920 1927

27. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920 1927 1932

28. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 190919201927 1932 1938

29. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 1909192019271932 19381948

30. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920192719321938 19481952

31. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920192719321938 1948 19521960

32. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920192719321938 19481952 1960 1964

33. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920192719321938 19481952 1960 19641968

34. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19091920192719321938 19481952 1960 19681975 1964

35. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 1975 1985 19091920192719321938 19481952 196019641968

36. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 1975 1985 19091920192719321938 19481952 196019641968 1995

37. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19751985 19091920192719321938 19481952 196019641968 1995 2005

38. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19751985 19091920192719321938 19481952 196019641968 1995 2010 2005

39. A Tale of Intermediate Forms 19751985 19091920192719321938 19481952 196019641968 199520102005

40. Evobot Lesson  Together we will all build an ancestral state.  Then, you will have 30 minutes to develop a Evobot to compete in a specific environment.

41. Environments  Flats (The fastest evobot has the advantage)  Mountains (The evobot that can climb the steepest hill has the advantage)

42. Environments  Founder (The evobot that is completed first has an advantage)  Desert (The evobot that uses the least legos or resources gains an advantage)  Reproduction (The best looking evobot and the weirdest looking evobot gain an advantage)