1. Variation Lab

2. Purpose: To determine the type of selection of a trait in a population.

3. Materials: Meter stick or metric ruler Data Chart 50 people/plant leaves

4. Procedure: Make a raw data chart with space for 50 people/plant leaves and a measurement for each. Measure the trait for 50 people/plant leaves. Tally the data and create a result data table. Graph the data.

5. Measurements in tenths of a centimeter Length of pointer finger (m and f) Circumference of head (m and f) Arm length (m and f) Shoe length (m and f) Wrist circumference (m and f) Lower leg height (toe to bended knee) (m and f)

6. Data: Raw Data Chart Plant Leaf # Measurement (mm) Results Data Chart Measurement (mm) # People/plants

7. Graph Make a bar graph of the results data - Number of people/plant leaves vs. Measurement of trait.

8. Conclusions: 1.What type of selection is shown by your graph? 2. How does your trait’s pattern compare with the other traits that were studied by your classmates? - Describe Similarities/differences? - Did human trait variation differ from plant trait variation? 3. Why did you collect 50 measurements? Would you see the same trend if you measured 10? 100? Explain. 4.. Why is variation so important to evolution? See pages 379-381