Skip to main content
Toggle User Menu

HHMI BioInteractive

  • Español
  • Search
  • Log In/Create Account
  • Classroom Resources
  • Planning Tools
  • Professional Development
  • About Us

Using DNA to Explore Lizard Phylogeny

Topic
  • Genetics
  • Bioinformatics
  • Evolution
  • Phylogeny
  • Science Practices
  • Data Analysis
Resource Type
  • Activities
  • Card Activities
Level
High School — AP/IBCollege
Used In
2 BioInteractive Playlists
Favorited By
28 Users
Share This
View in Spanish
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.
Details
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
Curriculum Connections
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 (2013)

II.A, II.C

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

Hear how educators are using BioInteractive content in their teaching.
Educator in front of an image of a lizard Play Video Next Slide Next Slide
/
1-Minute Tips
Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree
Bob Kuhn describes how he uses BioInteractive resources to teach speciation to his students.
Previous Slide Next Slide
Close Modal

Explore Related Content

Other Resources About Lizards
Showing of
Virtual Labs
Lizard Evolution Virtual Lab
Phenomenal Images
The Lone Anole
Card Activities
Look Who's Coming for Dinner: Selection by Predation
Data Points
Effects of Predation on the Niche of Lizards
Scientists at Work
How Lizards Find Their Way Home
A portion of the image taken from Figure 2
Data Points
Lizards in the Cold
Diagram from the paper
Phenomenal Images
Lizards in Hurricanes
Short Films
The Origin of Species: Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree
Film Activities
Activity for Lizards in an Evolutionary Tree
Animations
Reproductive Isolation and Speciation in Lizards
Other Related Resources
Showing of
Card Activities
Biodiversity and Evolutionary Trees
Click & Learn
Sorting Seashells
Animations
Coding Sequences in DNA
Click & Learn
Comparative Anatomy of the Domestic Chicken
Part of a phylogenetic tree with many branches. Some branches are black, and others are orange.
Data Points
Evolution of Ant-Mimicking Beetles
Phylogenetic tree of cone snails
Click & Learn
Creating Phylogenetic Trees from DNA Sequences
Click & Learn
DNA Sequence Assembly
Click & Learn
Virochip DNA Microarray
Click & Learn
How to Analyze DNA Microarray Data
Click & Learn
Using DNA to Trace Human Migration
This Resource Appears in the Following Playlists
Showing of
hhmi-card
Teaching Speciation Using Anole Lizards
5 Resources
By: BioInteractive
hhmi-card
Teaching Evolution Using Lizards and Tetrapods
7 Resources
By: BioInteractive

HHMI BioInteractive

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Newsletter Signup
  • HHMI.org
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy