Animal hybrid challenge sheet - National Science + Engineering

“
Animal mashups may look strange, but hybrids
between different species, subspecies or breeds have
allowed scientists to reveal the mysteries of inheritance.
What makes organisms different from each other
has been a big part of biological study for centuries;
however, it is only in the last few decades that genetics
has revealed some of the secrets behind speciation –
how evolution has shaped the species we see today.
So here’s my challenge to you, take on an animal
hybrids project, and explain how evolution and human
ingenuity create hybrids or even new species, and
then enter your project into the National Science +
Engineering Competition.
”
Here are some big ideas in hybridisation, do you have any more?
• Genetics
How is genetics used to identify a species? What are the problems with
genetically identifying species?
• Speciation
What is a species? Why do species differ?
• Fertility What makes some hybrids infertile and others not?
• Evolution
Is hybridisation a shortcut in evolution?
Here are some things to think about when making your project:
• Species or breed Research the difference between species and varieties. How do hybrids differ genetically to the species they originate from?
• Why does it exist?
• Big picture
A liger - a hybrid between a
male lion and a tigress
Identify the reasons for why your hybrid is able to exist and look at how it differs to similar animals in other habitats.
Is your hybrid here to stay or simply a one in a million? Think about habitat, climate change, breeding and evolution.
Hybrid animals have the potential to change evolutionary history for
better or worse. The wildcat (Felis silvestris grampia) is the only native
cat species in the UK; however, its numbers have been decimated
because they will breed with domestic cats. Scientists now question
whether any genetically pure Scottish wildcats now exist or whether
the remaining population are simply hybrids.
Could you research and present a winning project for the
Competition? For more information please see: www.nsecuk.org
The National Science + Engineering Competition is open to 11-18 year olds across the
UK and is a great way for young people to explore project work on specific topics just
like professional scientists and engineers do. Visit the website: www.nsecuk.org
How to use these resources for Key Stage 3 and 4
PREPARE
Teacher sheet
GET THE IDEA!
Student sheet
CREATE!
Project guide*
ENTER!
Website
Get resource ideas to
help present the
subject to students
Present the challenge
in class to help students
get project ideas
Use the guide to help
your students create a
project from their ideas
Why not enter the
finished project into
the Competition?
* The guides to project work for students and educators can be found on pages 28-31.
• Identifying what animals are different species or different breeds can be difficult for many
students. Fortunately, both can be found in your local park or nature reserve – hybrids are
also relatively commonplace. Why not encourage students to take photos of species and
breeds and create a worksheet explaining the differences between the two.
• Use pictures to create games such as “spot the odd-one-out” or “what is weird about this”
to allow students to pick out the obvious and subtle differences between species, varieties,
breeds and hybrids.
• There are also a number of cross-curricular links to be made with hybrids, for example
between biology (genetics) and geography (habitats). Why not introduce some hybrid
plants into the classroom, including orchids or one of the many hybrid grasses? Use them as
a prompt for discussing both natural and human-made hybrids.
There are lots of places you can look for inspiration to help students to develop project work
about hybridisation. Here are some that we like:
1. What: Free information, images and sources from Arkive.
How: Search for examples of species that will hybridise in the wild.
Where: http://www.arkive.org
2. What: Lots of scientific work completed on hybrids from the Natural History Museum.
How: Search for hybrids in the search bar on the Natural History Museum Home page.
Where: http://www.nhm.ac.uk
3. What:
How:
Where:
A list of amazing animal hybrids.
Includes photos and links to other sources.
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/photos/11-amazing-hybrid-animals/
mixing-things-up