Record what characteristics you used for each of the three birds. Run the simulation and record what changes occurred and whether the mutations were helpful or not, and why they were or were not.

Record the results of your simulation, which bird was the most successful (highest population), and give your hypothesis as to why they were best suited to the environment.

Which bird was most successful in the first 500,000 years? Why do you think so?

What kinds of mutations were more beneficial? Why?

Which bird(s) was/were most successful after 1,000,000 years? Why were they more successful?

How similar or different were the birds after 1,000,000 years compared to the original bird characteristics you chose? Why did they change that way? (Think about the environments you created in the second part.)

Which characteristics do you think affect the overall survival of the bird? Why?

How does this activity simulate natural selection?