This exercise builds on the introductory work by asking students to compare conditions, notice patterns more carefully, and connect observations to claims about evolutionary processes.
Learning goals
- compare outcomes across runs or conditions
- connect mutation, selection, and population change to the data students see
- strengthen evidence-based explanation
Suggested use
Assign this after students are comfortable launching the app and navigating the main interface.
What students do
- rerun the same setup while toggling the mutation rate or environment
- record what changes and how the population histogram or trait distribution responds
- summarize what evidence supports the mutation/selection story you see
Step-by-step flow
- Start from a saved Exercise 1 or another baseline run so students have a common reference.
- Increase mutation, change resource availability, or tweak another assigned variable.
- Run the experiment for the same number of updates or steps as the baseline.
- Compare the histograms, genotype richness, and fitness distribution between baseline and modified conditions.
- Ask: what changed? What did the evidence say about mutation vs. selection?
Legacy lab-book framing
The 2019 lab book described this exercise as Exploring Random Mutation and Selection. It works well when students are ready to compare outcomes rather than only observe a single run.
Supporting materials
- Exercise 2 PDF
- Legacy explainer video is part of the archived Avida-ED tutorial playlist and should be handled via transcript-first migration when the media is hosted.
Estimated time
One class period, or more if students are expected to produce written analysis.