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Mapping Genes to Traits in Dogs Using SNPs

Dogs and their phenotypes
Topic
  • Genetics
  • Genomics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolution
  • Artificial Selection
  • Science Practices
  • Statistics
Resource Type
  • Activities
  • Card Activities
Level
High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Favorited By
25 Users
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Description

In this activity, students explore single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are associated with different traits in dogs to identify genes associated with those traits.

The activity is based on actual genome-wide association studies (GWAS) with dogs. First, students learn about GWAS and SNPs, then answer questions about a news release that describes a real GWAS. Students then engage with a hands-on card activity to identify associations between certain phenotypes and SNPs in dogs. The activity includes an optional extension in which students use chi-square analysis to determine whether the associations are statistically significant.  

This activity complements the 2013 Holiday Lecture “Dog Genomics and Dogs as Model Organisms,” in which biologist Elinor Karlsson discusses how dogs can be used as model organisms for genomic studies, such as GWAS. The activity includes actual sequence data from DNA isolated from dog saliva, which was obtained and analyzed by Karlsson and her colleagues.

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
  • Describe how a genome-wide association study (GWAS) works and what questions it can be used to investigate.
  • Explain how GWAS uses single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to identify genes that affect a trait of interest.
  • Identify and interpret patterns in real genomic data.
     
Details
Estimated Time
Two 50-minute class periods.
Key Terms

allele, base pair, genome sequence, genome-wide association study (GWAS), genotype, nucleotide, phenotype, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)

Terms of Use

Please see the Terms of Use for information on how this resource can be used.

Version History
Date Published 10.09.14
Date Updated 11.11.20
Curriculum Connections
NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-1, HS-LS3-1; SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

IST-2.E, IST-4.A; SP1, SP2, SP3, SP4, SP5, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

3.1, B.5

Common Core (2010)

ELA.9–12.RST.7
Math.N-Q.1, Math.S-ID.1, Math.S-IC.1; MP2

Vision and Change (2009)

CC3; DP2, DP6

Materials
Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 421 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 1 MB
SNP Cards (curly-straight) (PDF) 7 MB
SNP Cards (short-long) (PDF) 8 MB
Educator Materials - Español (PDF) 421 KB
Student Handout - Español (PDF) 900 KB
SNP Cards (curly-straight) - Español (PDF) 13 MB
SNP Cards (short-long) - Español (PDF) 14 MB

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