The Making of the Fittest: The Birth and Death of Genes
Resource Type
Duration
00:13:10Description
This film explores how gene duplications and mutations have led to remarkable physiological adaptations in Antarctic fish.
The discovery of the Antarctic icefish has provided a stunning example of adaptation in an environment that is both hostile and abundant. Scientists Bill Detrich, Christina Cheng, and Art DeVries have pinpointed the genetic changes that enable icefish to thrive without hemoglobin and red blood cells and to avoid freezing in the icy ocean.
The “Abbreviated Film Guide” provides a short summary of the film, along with key concepts and connections to curriculum standards.
An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.
Key Terms
Antarctic icefish, antifreeze protein, gene duplication, hemoglobin, marine biology, mutation
Primary Literature
Chen, Liangbiao, Arthur L. DeVries, and Chi-Hing C. Cheng. “Evolution of Antifreeze Glycoprotein Gene from a Trypsinogen Gene in Antarctic Notothenioid Fish.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 94, 8 (1997): 3811–3816. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.94.8.3811.
Deng, Cheng, C.-H. Christina Cheng, Hua Ye, Ximiao He, and Liangbiao Chen. “Evolution of an Antifreeze Protein by Neofunctionalization under Escape from Adaptive Conflict.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 107, 50 (2010): 21593–21598. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1007883107.
Terms of Use
Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.
Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)
Version History
NGSS (2013)
HS-LS1.A, HS-LS4.A, HS-LS4.C
AP Biology (2019)
EVO-1, IST-2, IST-4, SYI-3
IB Biology (2016)
3.1, 5.1, 5.2, 6.2
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Topic(s): 1.3, 2.4, 2.6
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
3.2
Vision and Change (2009)
CC1, CC2