Skip to main content
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Español
  • Site Search
  • Log In/Create Account
  • BioInteractive Resources
  • Planning Tools
  • Professional Development
  • About Us

Diet and the Evolution of Salivary Amylase

Image from the activity

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Human Evolution
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Graph Interpretation
  • Statistics

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
14 Users
Share This
View in Spanish

Description

This activity engages students in analyzing authentic scientific data that explore the effects of different diets on the evolution of an enzyme that breaks down starch.

Students analyze data on the number of copies of the salivary amylase (AMY1) gene among different human populations. They then examine the connection between production of salivary amylase, which is the enzyme in saliva that digests starch, and dietary starch consumption. This activity involves analyzing and graphing research data, using correlation and other statistical tests, and making evidence-based claims by defining uncertainty.

Students should have some prior experience with constructing graphs and performing statistical calculations (i.e., mean, standard deviation, and confidence intervals). The activity includes an optional extension for students familiar with correlation coefficients and t-tests.

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

  • Explain the connection between gene copy number and protein production and function.
  • Graph research data and appropriately label all graph components, including title, axes, units, and legend.
  • Interpret primary data from different research studies in order to make claims using scientific reasoning and statistical analysis.
     

Estimated Time

One to two 50-minute class periods, depending on students’ background.

Key Terms

enzyme, gene, null hypothesis, starch, uncertainty

Primary Literature

Perry, G. H., Nathaniel J. Dominy, Katrina G. Claw, Arthur S. Lee, Heike Fiegler, Richard Redon, John Werner,  et al. “Diet and the evolution of human amylase gene copy number variation.” Nature Genetics 39, 10 (2007): 1256–1260. https://doi.org/10.1038/ng2123.

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.

Version History

Date Published 10.22.11

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-6, HS-LS3-1, HS-LS3-3, HS-LS4-3; SEP4, SEP5, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.E, EVO-3.A, IST-1.K, IST-2.E, IST-4.A, SYI-3.A; SP1, SP3, SP4, SP5

IB Biology (2016)

2.5, 2.7, 3.4, 5.2, 6.1, B.5

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 3.8, 5.3
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, EIN-1.C, EIN-2.C, SP5

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.7, ELA.RST.9–12.9, ELA.WHST.9–12.1
Math.S-ID.1, Math.S-ID.2, Math.S-ID.3, Math.S-ID.4, Math.S-ID.6, Math.S-ID.9, Math.S-IC.1, Math.S-IC.4, Math.S-ID.6; MP2, MP3, MP4

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC2, CC3, CC4; DP1, DP2, DP6

Materials

Resource Google Folder (Link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 429 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 369 KB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 425 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 390 KB
Data File (Excel) 12 KB
Data File - Español (PDF) 12 KB

Additional Materials

  • calculator or spreadsheet program

Explore Related Content

Other Related Resources

Showing of
Data Explorer text on a background of charts and graphs
Tools
Data Explorer
Image from the activity
Click & Learn
Sampling and Normal Distribution
Graph of amylase copy number and diet
Data Points
Amylase Copy Number and Diet
Portion of the main image
Data Points
Spread of a Lactase-Persistence Allele
Graph from the activity
Data Points
New Laetoli Footprints and Hominin Body Size
Image from the activity
Case Studies
Lactase Persistence: Evidence for Selection
Image of a world map from the activity
Case Studies
Human Skin Color: Evidence for Selection
An icon of a world map with many colored pie charts.
Data Points
Skin Color and Human Evolution
Chart taken from the data points paper.
Data Points
Diving Adaptations in Sea Nomads
Image from the activity
Lessons
Spreadsheet Tutorial 4: t-Test
HHMI BioInteractive
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter Signup
  • HHMI.org
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility