The Science of an Extreme Animal Athlete
Resource Type
Duration
00:10:30Description
This video follows biologist Shane Campbell-Staton, who is studying the adaptations that allow deer mice living at high elevations to stay warm and active during the winter.
In this video, Campbell-Staton collaborates with two colleagues, who also happen to be long-distance runners, to investigate how certain populations of deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) survive long winters on mountaintops. The scientists catch and study wild deer mice from low-elevation and high-elevation environments. By comparing the amount of oxygen the mice breathe in to the amount of carbon dioxide they breathe out, the scientists determine that mice adapted to living at high elevations use fats (lipids) at higher rates than mice adapted to living at low elevations do. Fats are often used to power activities requiring a lot of endurance, such running a marathon or staying warm on mountains. Deer mice living at high elevations may have evolved to burn fat at higher rates for this reason. These mice also have other adaptations, such as hemoglobin that is better able to bind oxygen, that help them survive at high elevations.
Two accompanying worksheets guide students’ exploration. Additional information related to pedagogy and implementation can be found in the “Educator Materials.”
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An audio descriptive version of the film is available via our media player.
Student Learning Targets
Metabolism worksheet
- Describe the reactants and products of carbohydrate (sugar) vs. lipid (fat) metabolism.
- Compare benefits and drawbacks of carbohydrate vs. lipid metabolism.
Evolution worksheet
- Describe how evolutionary adaptations enable populations of the same species to survive in different environments.
- Characterize the importance of hemoglobin for mammals and the benefits of certain hemoglobin adaptations (e.g., for highland deer mice).
Estimated Time
Key Terms
carbohydrate, carbon dioxide, cellular respiration, energy, heat, hemoglobin, lipid, macromolecule, metabolism, oxygen
Primary Literature
Horscroft, James A., Aleksandra O. Kotwica, Verena Laner, James A. West, Philip J. Hennis, Denny Z. H. Levett, David J. Howard, et al. 2017. “Metabolic Basis to Sherpa Altitude Adaptation.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, 24: 6382–6387. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1700527114.
Storz, Jay F., Zachary A. Cheviron, Grant B. McClelland, and Graham R. Scott. 2019. “Evolution of physiological performance capacities and environmental adaptation: insights from high-elevation deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus).” Journal of Mammalogy 100, 3: 910–922. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyy173.
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-LS1-7, HS-LS4-4
AP Biology (2019)
ENE-1.A, ENE-1.H, ENE-1.K, SYI-3.A, EVO-1.D, SYI-3.D; SP1
IB Biology (2016)
2.1, 2.3, 2.8, 5.2, 8.1, 8.2
AP Environmental Science (2020)
Unit Topic(s): 2.6
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H
IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)
3.2
Vision and Change (2009)
CC1, CC4; DP4