What This Document Is
This is a “Mission Memo” for Act II of the Genetics and Evolution lab in BIO 182 at Arizona State University. It outlines a continuing scenario-based lab exercise focused on a fictional ecosystem and the challenges of applying genetic principles to real-world conservation. It serves as an introduction to the lab activities and provides the context for the investigative questions students will address.
Why This Document Matters
This memo is essential for students enrolled in BIO 182 who are participating in the Genetics and Evolution lab. It’s used at the start of Act II to frame the lab’s objectives and set the stage for applying learned concepts to a complex ecological problem. It exists to provide a narrative drive for the lab work, connecting theoretical genetics and evolution to a practical conservation scenario.
Common Limitations or Challenges
This document *only* provides the background and guiding questions for the lab. It does not contain the data sets, detailed experimental protocols, or analysis instructions needed to complete the lab activities. Students will still need to actively engage in the lab exercises and utilize other provided materials to achieve the learning objectives.
What This Document Provides
This memo details a situation where initial efforts to save a plant species (sunstalks) from metal contamination have created a new problem affecting another species (stalkleapers). It presents three key questions to guide student investigation: the heritability of metal tolerance, the rate of evolutionary adaptation, and how to correct a gene affecting pod closure in the azure pods. It also includes a brief appendix outlining the initial steps for investigating heritability. This preview does *not* include the full appendix, data sets, or detailed lab procedures.
