Jurassic Island

Jurassic IslandZach JohnsonGraduate ProjectFoundations of American EducationFall 2010

Part 1: The beginningYou are Dr. Sam Scientist, world-renown paleontologist. You are the foremost expert in the study of dinosaurs, and your witty yet informative books top the best-seller lists around the globe. Dr. Sam Scientist

You are at your dig site, where you are currently unearthing the bones of a magnificent Tyrannosaurus Rex. You look at the mighty creature and pause, as you often do, to reflect on the amazing process of evolution that created such a beast Which of the following best describes evolution?A change in inherited traits in a population over timeA change in the number of humans on the planetA process that allows organisms to obtain energy from food

Part 2: The IslandAfter you unearth the Tyrannosaurus Rex, you contemplate where youre going to put it in your luxurious mansion. The dining room? Your bedroom? Perhaps by one of your many swimming pools? All of a sudden, a man approaches you and shouts Dr. Scientist! I have a proposition for you!

The man approaches you and says My name is Sir Edward Moneybags, and I have constructed an island where dinosaurs roam free, and tourists can come and experience them first hand. I need a dinosaur expert like yourself to come and endorse the park. Wont you come along?Sir Edward Moneybags

You reply, Mr. Moneybags, cant you see I have a dinosaur to take care of here? Its scientific name is Tyrannosaurus Rex. That means it has both a genus AND a species name. Dont you know that? What is the genus name for Tyrannosaurus Rex?TyrannosaurusRexAll of the above

Yes, yes, Dr. Scientist. Everyone knows how a scientific name works. But wouldnt you like the chance to see a real, live, dinosaur? Hmmmm, you think. That WOULD be more interesting than trying to fit another T-rex skull through my front door. Lets go! You board Sir Moneybags helicopter, and take off at once for his island. Helicopter Ride On your flight over the island, you note the vast diversity of plants and animals on the island. Knowing that natural selection is the cause of this diversity, you reflect on what you already know about natural selection. Which phrase is related to natural selection?Cause and EffectSurvival of the FittestWhat goes up, must go down

The helicopter lands, and you step out into a lush jungle. As you exit the helicopter, you find yourself face to face with a gigantic Apatosaurus!

Theyre magnificent, arent they? Sir Moneybags asked. Theyre the only population of Apatosaurus in the entire world! In Biology, which of these is an example of a population?All of the birds living in the worldThe number of granite rocks in an areaAll of the wolves living in northern Minnesota

Come along, Dr. Scientist Sir Moneybags says. We can head over to the lab and you can see the work that were doing with dinosaur geneticsHooray! you say. Theres nothing I love more than genetics! How is genetic information stored in organisms?Stored by cellsStored by ribosomesStored by DNA

What is the basic unit of DNA?NucleotidesPhosphatesChromosomes

Sir Moneybags leads you to a computer in the laboratory. The room is filled with scientists dutifully working away at different lab stations. He points at a computer. We use this machine to sequence and discover dinosaur genes he says.

Which of these options list the genetic structure from the most simple to the most complex?Nucleotide Pairs>Genes>ChromosomesChromosomes>Genes>Nucleotide PairsGenes>Nucleotide Pairs>Chromosomes

As you stare at the computer screen, one of the sections of DNA begins to flash red. Whats that? you ask Sir Moneybags.Hmmmmm Sir Moneybags says. It appears to be some sort of mutation in the dinosaurs DNA.

How do mutations cause evolution?They can (rarely) produce beneficial traitsThey can change existing genesBoth of the above

Sir Moneybags closely studies the computer screen. Why, this mutation seems to have affected the structure of this dinosaurs brain. It seems like this mutation has made this dinosaur, his eyes narrowed, even smarter than we are.

Which of these is not a type of mutation?InsertionReductionDeletion

You mean to tell me one of your dinosaurs mutated to be smarter than humans? you ask. Which dinosaur is it?Sir Moneybags pauses, and looks up at you slowly. Why, its our Tyranosaurus Rex he says.Suddenly, the ground below you begins to shake in slow, steady beatsalmost like the footsteps from a gigantic dinosaur All of a sudden, a monstrous Tyrannosaurus Rex bursts into the room!Tyrannosaurus Rex!

You run for cover as fast as you can, but a lifetime of training in science allows you to reflect on evolution even as you flee for your life. You notice the short, stubby arms of the Tyrannosaurus Rex are homologous structures to your own arms. What is a homologous structure?A structure shared because of similar evolutionary pressuresA structure shared due to a common ancestorA structure that is different due to evolution

The Tyrannosaurus Rex roars, and bites down on Sir Moneybags. The gigantic dinosaur eats him in 2 bites!

Sir Moneybags! you shout. You escape from the building and run towards the jungle, trying your best to escape the Tyrannosaurus Rex A dinosaur like Tyrannosaurus Rex is an example of what?OmnivoreHerbivoreCarnivore

You run deep into the jungle surrounding the genetic laboratory. The air is filled with the sounds of chirping birds. You remember what you learned about birds being related to dinosaurs, including the one that nearly ate you. Which of the following can cause speciation?Genetic DivergenceReproductive IsolationAll of the above

You run through the jungle for the helicopter, dive inside and shout at the pilot Go! Go! Go! The helicopter whirs to life and takes off. You breathe a sigh of relief.

You relax back in your chair on the helicopter, and start to relax. Pilot, take me as far away from here as you can you say. The person flying the plane does not respond.43 Pilot? you ask, tentatively. Did you hear me?You look up at the cockpit.

THE END