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Natural Selection and Evolution of Rock Pocket Mouse Populations

Diagram of codons and their amino acid products from the activity

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Mutations
  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Population Genetics

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Lessons

Level

High School — GeneralHigh School — AP/IBCollege
Saved By
26 Users
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Description

This activity supports concepts covered in the film Natural Selection and Adaptation. Students analyze genetic sequence data and draw conclusions about the evolution of coat-color phenotypes in the rock pocket mouse.

The activity begins with students reading a magazine article and watching the film. They then use a genetic code chart, to determine the amino acids encoded by a sequence of the Mc1r gene in different mouse populations. They then compare amino acid sequences to identify variations associated with different coat colors.

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 genotype and phenotype.
  • Make claims about the evolution of coat color in different rock pocket mouse populations based on evidence from amino acid sequences.

Estimated Time

One 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

amino acid, gene expression, mRNA, mutation, protein

Primary Literature

Nachman, Michael W., Hopi E. Hoekstra, and Susan L. D'Agostino. “The genetic basis of adaptive melanism in pocket mice.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100, 9 (2003): 5268–5273 https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0431157100.

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 03.07.11
Date Updated 05.19.20

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS1-1, HS-LS3-2, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.C, EVO-1.D, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.H, EVO-1.O, IST-1.N, IST-1.O, IST-2.E, IST-4.A, IST-4.B; SP1, SP2, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

3.1, 5.2

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.7

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP1

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Student Handout (PDF) 593 KB
Teacher Materials (PDF) 148 KB

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Making of the Fittest: Natural Selection and Adaptation

Educator Tips

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Rock Pocket Mouse Resources

Ann Brokaw presents three BioInteractive resources she uses to support the short film "Natural Selection and Adaptation."
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