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Lesson summary for:
Evo in the news: Evolution at the scene of the crime

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Overview:
This news brief, from March 2006, describes how DNA fingerprinting is being used to prosecute and exonerate the accused. DNA fingerprinting relies on the processes of mutation and genome evolution.

Author/Source:
UC Museum of Paleontology

Grade level:
13-16

Time:
15 minutes

Teaching tips:
Use this resource to relate evolutionary concepts to the topic of biotechnology (or get more suggestions for incorporating evolution throughout your biology syllabus). This article includes a set of discussion and extension questions for use in class. It also includes hints about related lessons that might be used in conjunction with this one. Get more tips for using Evo in the News articles in your classroom.

Concepts:

  • Some traits of organisms are not adaptive.

  • Evolution results from genetic drift acting upon genetic variation within a population.

  • Scientists can test ideas about events and processes long past, very distant, and not directly observable.

  • As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life, for example in agriculture, biodiversity and conservation biology, and medicine and health.

Teacher background:

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