A video that shows that climate change can be a selective pressure in natural selection that can lead to the ‘evolutionary rescue’ of a species.
Students will learn about the Snowshoe hares in North America. They will understand how reduced snowfall due to a warming climate can behave as a selective pressure on the seasonal coat colour polymorphism of the species.
Use this tool to help students find answers to:
- What is genetic polymorphism?
- What is selective pressure? How could climate change act as a selective pressure in the evolution of a species of organisms?
About the Tool
Tool Name | Will Snowshoe Hares Win a Race Between Evolution and Climate Change |
Discipline | Biological Sciences |
Topic(s) in Discipline |
Natural Selection, Selective Pressure, Evolution, Speciation, Evolutionary Hotspots, Genetic Polymorphism, Genetic Variants, Adaptive Advantage, Snowshoe hares, Coat Colour Polymorphism |
Climate Topic | Climate and the Biosphere |
Type of Tool | Video |
Grade Level | High school, Undergraduate |
Location | North America, USA, Washington State |
Language | English |
Translation | |
Developed by | National Geographic |
Hosted at | National Geographic YouTube Channel |
Link | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwZzmTuhs3M |
Access | Online |
Computer Skills | Basic |