Understanding Evolution

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Home → Teach Evolution → Lessons and Teaching Tools → Teaching Resources Database → Evo in the news: The legless lizards of LAX

Evo in the news: The legless lizards of LAX

Grade Level(s):

  • 9-12
  • 13-16
  • General

Source:

  • UC Museum of Paleontology

Resource type:

  • Evo in the News article

Time: 20 minutes

Overview

This news brief from October 2013 describes the discovery of four new species of legless lizard. Why don't we just call these animals snakes? Because of their evolutionary history...

Go to this resource »

  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] An organism's features reflect its evolutionary history.
  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 9-12] Not all similar traits are homologous; some are the result of convergent evolution.
  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] An organism's features reflect its evolutionary history.
  • [Evidence of evolution: Grades 13-16] Not all similar traits are homologous; some are the result of convergent evolution.
  • [Mechanisms of evolution: Grades 13-16] A species is often defined as a group of individuals that actually or potentially interbreed in nature.
  • [Studying evolution: Grades 9-12] Classification is based on evolutionary relationships.
  • [Studying evolution: Grades 13-16] Classification is based on evolutionary relationships.

There are no NGSS/DCI concepts currently linked to this resource.

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.

Additional teaching tips for 13-16:
Use this resource to relate evolutionary concepts to the topics of classification and taxonomy (or get more suggestions for incorporating evolution throughout your biology syllabus).