Purpose This activity gives students practice with interpreting infographics and also supports student understanding of the similarities and differences between humans and other species. Process Students will locate the species listed below on the infographic and write down the domain to which they belong: brown rat zebrafish Giardia lamblia Salmonella typhi Campylobacter jejuni Streptomyces coelicolor Streptococcus mutans Methanosarcina acetivorans Have students answer the following questions: 1. What is the importance of each of the species listed above? 2. Which domain is probably the largest? 3. What are the major differences between each of the domains? 4. What is LUCA? 5. What species is our closest relative? 6. Did we branch off the taxonomic tree from our closest relative or did we develop separately from each other? What does this tell you about our relationship? 7. Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes both branched off from what type of animal? 8. What are the taxonomic similarities between the following species: Pan troglodytes, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus? Have students discuss their answers with the class.
Purpose This activity will give you practice with interpreting infographics and will also support your understanding of the similarities and differences between humans and other species. Process Locate the species listed below on the infographic, and write down the domain to which each belongs: brown rat Eukaryota zebrafish Eukaryota Giardia lamblia Eukaryota Salmonella typhi Archaea Campylobacter jejuni Bacteria Streptomyces coelicolor Bacteria Streptococcus mutans Bacteria Methanosarcina acetivorans Archaea
Directions: Answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class. 1. What is the importance of each of the species listed? Sample answer: Each of these species represents just a small sliver of the biodiversity on planet Earth. Each occupies a very important niche within the biosphere and plays an essential role in the movement of energy through ecosystems. 2. Which domain is probably the largest? Sample answer: Bacteria is the most abundant. We live in an age in which scientific discoveries are frequent and continue to inform us about the world. However, even with all the organisms known to exist, there are many species that remain undiscovered. 3. What are the major differences between each of the domains? Sample answer: The major distinction between members of Eukaryota, Archaea, and Bacteria is the complexity of their cells. Eukaryota have eukaryotic cells meaning that their cells have a membrane surrounding their genetic material. Archaea and Bacteria can be differentiated from one another in that the Archaea are also known as extremophiles meaning they prefer to live in extreme conditions. Bacteria live virtually everywhere else. 4. What is LUCA? Sample answer: LUCA is an acronym that stands for last universal common ancestor. If you trace the evolutionary tree of every organism back to its base, that s where you ll end up. As the term implies, it is the common ancestor of all life. LUCA was present on Earth roughly 3.5 billion years ago.
5. What species is our closest relative? Sample answer: The chimpanzee is our closest relative genetically speaking, over 98 percent identical to us. 6. Did we branch off the taxonomic tree from our closest relative or did we develop separately from each other? What does this tell you about our relationship? Sample answer: Humans and chimpanzees were on the same part of the taxonomic tree until about 7 million years ago, when humans branched off on their own. Humans did not evolve from chimps. We are related to them, but have traveled our own evolutionary path separate from chimpanzees. 7. Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes both branched off from what type of animal? Sample answer: Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes both branched off from an ape-like, nonbipedal hominid that lived 7 million years ago in central and east Africa. 8. What are the taxonomic similarities between the following species: Pan troglodytes, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus? Sample answer: All of these organisms are members of the domain Eukaryota. Some further investigation will also show that they are also members of the phylum Chordata, and of the class Mammalia.
TREE OF LIFE INFOGRAPHIC Name: STUDENT MATERIALS Date: Purpose This activity will give you practice with interpreting infographics and will also support your understanding of the similarities and differences between humans and other species. Process Locate the species listed below on the infographic, and write down the domain to which each belongs: brown rat zebrafish Giardia lamblia Salmonella typhi Campylobacter jejuni Streptomyces coelicolor Streptococcus mutans Methanosarcina acetivorans
TREE OF LIFE INFOGRAPHIC Name: STUDENT MATERIALS Date: Directions: Answer the following questions. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class. 1. What is the importance of each of the species listed? 2. Which domain is probably the largest? 3. What are the major differences between each of the domains? 4. What is LUCA?
TREE OF LIFE INFOGRAPHIC Name: STUDENT MATERIALS Date: 5. What species is our closest relative? 6. Did we branch off the taxonomic tree from our closest relative or did we develop separately from each other? What does this tell you about our relationship? 7. Homo sapiens and Pan troglodytes both branched off from what type of animal? 8. What are the taxonomic similarities between the following species: Pan troglodytes, Homo sapiens, Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus?