Co-evolution

The co-evolution activity we partook in during class involved separating into three groups, each a different variation of a species. Each group had different kinds of beaks with different evolutionary benefits; one group used plasticware spoons for beaks, the other forks, and one knives. Our food source consisted of various bean kinds. Initially, we'd count out a certain number of each bean and combine them. We then would stand in a circle on the floor, ready to get at the beans that would be poured on the floor. Naturally, it was more difficult for some of the beaks to gather the food, due to their shape (the knives had the hardest time). Even still, the food source eventually declined, decreasing the number of people per beak. When someone died off one group, they were added to a different once, hence evolving a different kind of beak. We repeated this process a couple times. Co-evolution is the evolution of two species in which the evolution of one affects the evolution of another. This activity demonstrates co-evolution because the evolutionary disadvantages of the knife beaks evolved into the evolutionary advantages of the spoons, through natural selection. The spoons were more fit (and sometimes the forks) to pick up beans than the knives. I happened to be in the knife group. One strategy we came up with was to flip the beans up with the tip of the knife, and catch it in our hand. We eventually came to the conclusion that it worked better to help push the beans onto the knives of our fellow knife beaks. I think this is a good activity to do with kids, and I would like to do it with my students some time in the future.

New Celebration

My absolute favorite time of year is fall. It's the perfect temperature: not too hot, and not too cold. Just right. Not only that, but the colors are gorgeous. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where I live amongst the different shades of red, yellow, and orange each fall. This fall, though, was the most breathtaking of all I've experienced. I was able to go back home to the Keweenaw one weekend in September, and spent some quality time with my family. One of my most beloved pastimes to do at home is take walks with my mom. We live in the country, so we take a wooded path that slowly emerges into an expansive field where potatoes once grew. I know this path like the back of my hand; every crooked apple tree, blackberry bush, and abandoned barn. Me, my mom, and my two dogs ventured down the trail. The smell of the fallen leaves was overwhelmingly strong, and whisked me back to my childhood when my brother and I would bury ourselves in the piles of leaves we'd raked. The crisp breeze bit at my nose as I kept my hands tight and warm in my coat pockets. I wish I could've paused life right there, with the vibrant colors, familiar smells, and those that I love surrounding me. It was the perfect picture.