Lesson summary for...

Evo in the news: The new shrew that's not

Author/Source: UC Museum of Paleontology
Overview:This news brief from March of 2008 describes scientists' discovery of a new mammal species, a giant elephant shrew. Though elephant shrews resemble regular shrews, recent genetic evidence suggests that elephant shrews actually sprang from a much older (and perhaps more charismatic) branch of the tree of life - the one belonging to elephants and their relatives.
Concepts:This lesson covers the following concepts:
  • Present-day species evolved from earlier species; the relatedness of organisms is the result of common ancestry.
  • Geological change and biological evolution are linked.
  • Tectonic plate movement has affected the evolution and distribution of living things.
  • All organisms, including humans, retain evidence of their evolutionary history.
  • Similarities among existing organisms provide evidence for evolution.
  • Science corrects itself.
  • The story of the evolution of living things is always being refined as we gather more evidence.
  • Scientists use the similarity of DNA nucleotide sequences to infer the relatedness of taxa.
  • Classification is based on evolutionary relationships.
Grade Level:9-12
Time:20 minutes
Teacher Background:Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson:
Teaching Tips:This article includes a video podcast, a set of discussion and extension questions for use in class, and hints about related lessons that might be used in conjunction with this one.