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Biodiversity and Evolutionary Trees

A group of sea shells

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolution
  • Phylogeny

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
27 Users
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Description

In this activity, students use DNA sequences from marine mollusks to construct phylogenetic trees. This activity uses mollusks as model organisms to introduce phylogeny and the importance of evolutionary relationships in modern taxonomy.

In Part 1, students learn how DNA can be used to study evolutionary relationships. Part 2 introduces an online software (MAFFT) for generating DNA sequence alignments and phylogenetic trees. In Parts 3 and 4, students build and explore phylogenetic trees of different mollusks. In the optional inquiry-based extension, students apply the techniques they’ve learned to explore evolutionary relationships among species of their choosing.

This activity was designed to accompany the Click & Learn Sorting Seashells, in which students construct an evolutionary tree of the same mollusk species based on morphological characteristics.

The “Resource Google Folder” link directs to a Google Drive folder of resource documents in the Google Docs format. Not all downloadable documents for the resource may be available in this format. The Google Drive folder is set as “View Only”; to save a copy of a document in this folder to your Google Drive, open that document, then select File → “Make a copy.” These documents can be copied, modified, and distributed online following the Terms of Use listed in the “Details” section below, including crediting BioInteractive.

Student Learning Targets

  • Use an online software to align DNA sequences and build phylogenetic trees.
  • Interpret simple phylogenetic trees.
  • Use phylogenetic trees to compare hypotheses about evolutionary relationships among groups of organisms.
  • Explain how DNA sequences can be used to study evolutionary relationships.

Estimated Time

One to three 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

biodiversity, classification, DNA, evolutionary relationship, evolutionary tree, mollusc, morphology, phylogeny, sequence alignment

Terms of Use

The resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. No rights are granted to use HHMI’s or BioInteractive’s names or logos independent from this Resource or in any derivative works.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 03.07.09

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-1; SEP2, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.M, EVO-1.N, EVO-3.B, EVO-3.C; SP1, SP2, SP4, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.1, 5.4, B.5

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, SP2, SP5

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP1, DP3

Materials

Resource Google Folder (Link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 518 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 400 KB
Sequence Files (ZIP) 4 KB

Additional Materials

access to the online software MAFFT

Use This Resource With

Interactive Media Resource
Sorting Seashells

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