Lesson Summary: Evo in the news: Genealogy enthusiasts mine DNA for clues to evolutionary history

Lesson summary for... Evo in the news: Genealogy enthusiasts mine DNA for clues to evolutionary history Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology

Overview:	This news brief, from November 2007, turns an evolutionary lens on businesses that use DNA for genealogy research and, in the process, illuminates what their genetic tests really track.
Concepts:	This lesson covers the following concepts: Not every feature of an organism is an adaptation, but features often reflect their evolutionary history. All organisms, including humans, retain evidence of their evolutionary history. 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: Genetic Variation
Teaching Tips:	This article is particularly appropriate for AP biology classes and 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. Because of its emphasis on cellular organelles, this article could be used to incorporate an evolutionary perspective into discussions of animal cells.