Silently Singing Crickets

This case study covers the loss of cricket song in response to predation, and then the appearance of a new “song” phenotype. Students evaluate data testing the hypothesis that this new call is more attractive to female crickets than the silent phenotype, while still avoiding predation by the flies better than the ancestral call type.

https://www.nsta.org/ncss-case-study/those-who-wish-sing-always-find-song#tab-Materials

Note: The student handout for this case study is freely available, but the teaching notes and answer key to this activity (and other NSTA case studies) are behind a paywall. A subscription costs $30/year. Unfortunately, a regular NSTA membership does not include the case studies.