In the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, some tiny creatures show just how quickly natural selection can turn a mutation into an advantageous adaptation. Watch a video about rock pocket mice, who show that one small change can make all the difference in survival when the landscape changes drastically. After watching the video, high schoolers take a look at the Hardy-Weinberg theorem, perform some calculations regarding the frequency of heterozygous genotypes in the rock pocket mouse population, and answer some short analysis questions. 

Concepts

adaptations, genetics, mutation, natural selection

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Additional Tags

genetics, natural selection, mutation, adaptation, science

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Pros

• Excellent example of natural selection as a result of mutation
• Cross-curricular activities show one way that algebra is used in science
• Real-world case study helps solidify the concepts of genotype and phenotype

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.9-10.3 RST.9-10.4 RST.9-10.7 MP2 MP3 MP4 MP5