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Using DNA to Explore Lizard Phylogeny

Picture of an anole

Topic

  • Genetics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolution
  • Phylogeny
  • Math & Computational Skills
  • Data Analysis

Resource Type

  • Activities
  • Card Activities

Level

High School — AP/IBCollege
Used In
2 BioInteractive Playlists
Saved By
43 Users
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Description

In this activity, students explore the phenomenon of convergent evolution presented in the short film The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree. They build and interpret phylogenetic trees to infer how certain adaptations evolved among the Anole lizard populations of the Caribbean.

Students watch parts of the short film at different points in this two-part activity. In Part 1, students begin by sorting photographs of 16 species of lizards into groups, based on any criteria they consider relevant. They then revise their sorts after watching a portion of the short film, which points to key anatomical adaptations that lizards have acquired to live in different niches. Differences between the species illustrate adaptive radiation; students can generate hypotheses about possible reasons why different adaptations have evolved and infer evolutionary relationships among lizards based on their adaptations.

In Part 2, students develop explanations for how these adaptations evolved in species that live on different islands of the Caribbean by building a phylogeny using DNA sequences. They then examine whether species with similar adaptations or species that live on the same island tend to be more closely related. Finally, students compare their conclusions with those of the scientists featured in the film and synthesize their understanding of how these adaptations evolved.

Student Learning Targets

  • Explain how anole lizards in the Caribbean are examples of both adaptive radiation and convergent evolution.
  • Use sequence-alignment and phylogeny-generating software to compare mitochondrial DNA sequences. 
  • Analyze data from a phylogenetic tree and determine whether the data support a hypothesis.

Estimated Time

Two 50-minute class periods.

Key Terms

adaptive radiation, convergent evolution, ecological niche, ectomorph, mitochondrial DNA sequence, phylogenetic tree

Primary Literature

Losos, Jonathan B., Todd R. Jackman, Allan Larson, Kevin de Queiroz, and Lourdes Rodrı́guez-Schettino. “Contingency and Determinism in Replicated Adaptive Radiations of Island Lizards.” Science 279, 5359 (1998): 2115–2118. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.279.5359.2115.

Terms of Use

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

Version History

Date Published 04.02.14
Date Updated 10.05.16

NGSS (2013)

HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5; SEP2, SEP4, SEP6

AP Biology (2019)

EVO-1.D, EVO-1.E, EVO-1.G, EVO-1.H, EVO-1.M, EVO-1.N, EVO-1.O, EVO-3.A, EVO-3.B, EVO-3.C, EVO-3.D, EVO-3.E, EVO-3.F, SYI-3.D; SP1, SP2, SP3, SP6

IB Biology (2016)

5.1, 5.2, B.5, C.1

AP Environmental Science (2020)

Topic(s): 2.6, 2.7
Learning Objectives & Practices: ERT-2.H, SP2, SP5

IB Environmental Systems and Societies (2017)

2.1, 3.2

Common Core (2010)

ELA.RST.9–12.9, ELA.WHST.9–12.1

Vision and Change (2009)

CC1; DP1, DP3

Materials

Teacher Document (PDF) 646 KB
Student Document (PDF) 348 KB
Lizard Cards (color PDF) 8 MB
Lizard Cards (black and white PDF) 5 MB
Anolis DNA sequences (text) 24 KB
Test Sequence File (text) 109 B
Reference phylogeny (PDF) 476 KB
Sequence Alignment Introduction (PDF) 738 KB
Teacher Document - Español (PDF) 408 KB
Student Document - Español (PDF) 385 KB
Sequence Alignment - Español (PDF) 221 KB

Additional Materials

  • a set of lizard cards 
  • access to a computer with Internet connection
  • (optional) a computer with the freely available ClustalX program installed

Use This Resource With

Video Resource
The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree

Educator Tips

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Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree

Bob Kuhn describes how he uses BioInteractive resources to teach speciation to his students.
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This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists

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