Lesson Summary: Evo in the news: Tracking SARS back to its source

Lesson summary for... Evo in the news: Tracking SARS back to its source Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology

Overview:	This news brief, from January of 2006, traces the source of the SARS virus. Using phylogenetics, biologists have come up with a plausible path of transmission which may help us prevent future outbreaks of diseases such as HIV, SARS, and West Nile virus.
Concepts:	This lesson covers the following concepts: All organisms, including humans, retain evidence of their evolutionary history. Evolution results from selection acting upon genetic variation within a population. Scientific ideas are developed through reasoning. As with other scientific disciplines, evolutionary biology has applications that factor into everyday life.
Grade Level:	9-12
Time:	15 minutes
Teacher Background:	Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson: Classification/Phylogenetics Relevance
Teaching Tips:	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.