Lesson summary for...

Evo in the news: Cheating cheetahs prosper

Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology
Overview:Biologists have discovered that female cheetahs consistently seek out multiple mates. This news brief, from July 2007, explains how the evolutionary implications of this behavior may help conservation efforts targeting these endangered animals.
Concepts:This lesson covers the following concepts:
  • Evolution results from selection acting upon genetic variation within a population.
  • Traits that are advantageous often persist in a population.
  • The amount of genetic variation within a population may affect the likelihood of survival of the population; the less the available diversity, the less likely the population will be able to survive environmental change.
  • Scientists pose, test, and revise multiple hypotheses to explain what they observe.
  • The story of the evolution of living things is always being refined as we gather more evidence.
  • 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:
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.