Michael J. Savage
Life Science/6th Period
09/09/2014 - 09/10/2014

Title:
How many times does the “eyes absent” gene occur in 50 generations.

Topic:
The main scientific idea is to see if over many generations of fruit flies when given less and less food if genetic mutation occurs more often.

Purpose:
I chose this topic to investigate because I was curious about how many genetic mutations would occur in fruit flies over 50 generations when given less and less food and link this to genetic mutations with humans and starvation.

Problem:
How does the ofteness of genetic mutations in fruit flies match up with the same genetic mutation in humans?

Research:
Source: http://www.exploratorium.edu/exhibits/mutant_flies/mutant_flies.html

Information: This website shows the many different common genetic mutations that occur among fruit flies. Mutations can be good or bad, but the majority of the time mutations can be neither good nor bad.

Source: http://www.creationstudies.org/operationsalt/myth-beneficial-mutations.html

Information: “Researchers have by means of genetic breeding, changed a two-wing fruit fly into a four-wing fruit fly. The four-wing fruit fly consistently reproduces four-winged fruit flies. But although a new species has been produced, it is not a new “kind.” The mutant fruit fly is still a fruit fly. As a matter of fact, the four-winged fruit fly is a weakened form. The second set of wings do not help the fruit fly; they actually get in the way. Its ability to take flight is dangerously hindered. Having been selectively bred in the laboratory, this species will also not survive without the caring assistance of researchers. This is a poor example of evolution by mutation. The bottom line is that mutations always weaken an