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Spread of a Lactase-Persistence Allele

Data point image described in the activity

Topic

  • Evolution
  • Natural Selection
  • Human Evolution
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Graph Interpretation

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Data Points

Level

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

This activity guides the analysis of a published scientific figure from a study that investigated how human populations might adapt to milk consumption, both genetically and culturally. 

As babies, humans produce an enzyme called lactase to break down lactose, the main sugar in milk. Though most people stop producing lactase as they grow older, some have a trait called lactase persistence that allows them to keep producing lactase throughout their lives. One hypothesis suggests that lactase persistence was strongly selected for in populations that traditionally raised animals for milk. 

To investigate this hypothesis, scientists traced the spread of a common lactase-persistence allele through Asia and Europe over the last 10,000 years. Using both ancient and present-day samples, and both genotype and phenotype data, they estimated how common the allele was among people in different regions over time. In the figure, dots indicate the sampled individuals and populations, and the pink/red shading indicates the estimated allele frequency based on the samples.

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

  • Analyze and interpret data from a scientific figure. 
  • Describe the spread of an allele, over both time and space, and what this might suggest about selective pressure on the allele.
  • Explain why lactase persistence may or may not have been selected for in certain populations.
  • Compare ways in which different populations may have adapted to milk consumption, either genetically or culturally.
     

Estimated Time

Within one 50-minute class period.

Key Terms

adaptation, dairy, digestion, fermentation, genotype, heat map, lactose, mutation, pastoral population, phenotype

Primary Literature

Ségurel, Laure, Perle Guarino-Vignon, Nina Marchi, Sophie Lafosse, Romain Laurent, Céline Bon, Alexandre Fabre, et al. “Why and when was lactase persistence selected for? Insights from Central Asian herders and ancient DNA.” PLOS Biology 18, 6 (2020): e3000742. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000742. 

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.

Accessibility Level (WCAG compliance)

PDF files meet criteria.

Version History

Date Published 07.21.22

NGSS 2013

HS-LS3-3, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5HS-LS3-3, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4; SEP2, SEP4, SEP5

AP Biology 2019

IST-4.B, EVO-1.D, EVO-1.J, EVO-1.N; SP1, SP4

IB Biology 2016

5.2, D.2

AP Environmental Science 2020

Topics(s): 2.6, 3.8
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, EIN-1.C; SP2, SP5

Common Core 2010

ELA.RST.9–12.7
MP2, MP5
 

Vision and Change 2009

CC1; DP2, DP3

Materials

Resource Google Folder (link)
Educator Materials (PDF) 522 KB
Student Handout (PDF) 385 KB
Figure (JPG) 883 KB

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