The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection in Humans

Topic

Resource Type

Level

High School — General High School — AP/IB College

Duration

00:14:03

Favorited By

26 Users

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Description

This film explores the evolutionary connection between an infectious disease, malaria, and a genetic condition, sickle cell anemia.

Tony Allison first noticed a connection between malaria and the sickle cell trait while working in East Africa in the 1950s. The story of his discovery stands as one of the best understood examples of natural selection in humans in which the selective agent, adaptive mutation, and molecule involved are all known. The protection against malaria provided by the sickle cell mutation demonstrates how evolution does not necessarily result in optimal solutions for the species but proceeds in response to selective pressures by utilizing what variation is available.

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.

Details

Key Terms

adaptation, Africa, allele, balancing selection, hemoglobin, heterozygote advantage, malaria, mutation, sickle cell

Primary Literature

Allison, Anthony C. “The Discovery of Resistance to Malaria of Sickle-Cell Heterozygotes.” Mini-Series: Significant Contributions to Biological Chemistry over the Past 125 Years. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 30, no. 5 (2002): 279‒287.

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Accessibility Level

This resource complies with accessibility standards in accordance with the final rule for Section 508 of the National Rehabilitation Act.

Version History

Date Published 10.12.11

Curriculum Connections

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1.A, HS-LS3.A, HS-LS3.B, HS-LS4.C

AP Biology (2015)

1.A.1, 1.A.2, 3.A.3, 3.C.1

IB Biology (2016)

4.1, 4.3, 5.4, D.2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1, CC2

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1-Minute Tips

Mendelian Genetics, Sickle Cell, and Human Evolution

Bob Kuhn describes two BioInteractive resources focused on human evolution and Mendelian genetics. The short film "Natural Selection in Humans" describes the discovery of the genetic basis of sickle cell disease — an example of recent human evolution.

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