Bean Bottleneck
Animal Science
Hira Zeeshan
- Grade:
- 7
- Teacher:
- Sharon Sapp
This science project explores the question, “How will animal traits be passed down after a big disaster?” To model this, I used black and brown beans to represent different traits within a population. By placing a random mix of beans in a bottle and squeezing some out to represent a disaster, I observed which beans “survived.” After three trials, the results showed that the surviving beans were different each time, demonstrating how real-life disasters can cause a population bottleneck. This means that the traits passed down after a disaster depend on which individuals survive by chance, and not which trait was more common before the disaster event.
Great job exploring an important scientific concept! You asked how animal traits are passed down after a disaster and used beans to model the bottleneck effect. I was impressed that you connected your experiment to a real example, the Northern Elephant Seals, showing you understand why this concept matters in nature. Your results clearly showed that survival after a disaster is random, not based on which trait is more common. That is exactly how real population bottlenecks work! Your idea for a future experiment with a predator and tweezers shows you’re already thinking like a scientist, always looking for ways to improve. Keep asking big questions about how the natural world works!
Good job