This interactive tutorial from HHMI BioInteractive explores the evolution of tfour-limbed animals, or tetrapods, from fish. Students compare and contrast different features, including the progression of anatomical changes from reconstructed fossil skeletons to see the anatomical progession in several transitional forms. A student worksheet is included to guide student learning and accompany the Click and Learn. This resource could be used as a stand alone tutorial to illustrate transitional species in evolution or can be used to accompany the video "Great Transitions: The Origins of Tetrapods" which is also available from BioInteractive.
Type of Material:
Tutorial
Recommended Uses:
In or out of class as a group or individual assignment.
Technical Requirements:
Browser
Identify Major Learning Goals:
This resource presents the evidence for a major transition in the history of life, the evolution of tetrapods. Students will compare and contrast anatomical features of fish, tetrapods, and transitional form skeletons to identify similarities and differences.
Target Student Population:
High School, College General Ed, College Lower Division
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:
Knowledge of evolutionary principles, taxonomy, and biology would be helpful but not required.
Content Quality
Rating:
Strengths:
The content is engaging, interactive, and accurate
The comparison of some little known fossils (at least among the general public) allows students to see the evidence for how the transition to land among vertebrates happened
Some of the key paleontological concepts are explained
Visual representation of data is easy to understand
Descriptions of each species as well as key anatomical features are included
Concerns:
The depth of information is relatively low in most aspects of the anatomy, paleontology, and taxonomy (this resource would be best for students with very little biology background)
Background information could be expanded
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool
Rating:
Strengths:
The table of transitional species, which is the centerpiece of this resource, is useful to compare the species shown--this resource allows a quick assessment of some key anatomical features
A PDF worksheet is available to test student comprehension
An introduction sets the context of this great transition
Some ancillary material is provided, including videos
Curriculum connections (e.g., to NGSS) are included
The fossils can be revealed by clicking on them, or left hidden to allow comparison of only some taxa
The site does an excellent job contextualizing the time and period and relevant evidence of the vertebrate transition to land
Easy to integrate into an existing evolution lesson
Can be used as an assessment tool
Concerns:
The table presents a series of fossil taxa from "fish" to tetrapods, but the 10 features shown do not vary among some of the taxa (e.g., Tiktaalik, Acanthostega, and Ichthyostega all have the same features in the chart (except number of digits); this could make drawing conclusions about the transitional nature of the fossils less obvious for those not already conversant with evolution
The worksheet focuses on the lower level Bloom cognitive domains
The connection between this resouces and the video "Great Transitions: The Origins of Tetrapods" could be emphasized more.
Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty
Rating:
Strengths:
The site works very smoothly
Clear and concise
Graphic instructions are presented when the site is first accessed including a quick guide that explains how to use the interactive features of the tutorial
Concerns:
None
Creative Commons:
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