This film describes natural selection and adaptation in populations of rock pocket mice living in the American Southwest.

Mice living on light-colored sand tend to have light-colored coats, while mice living on patches of dark-colored rock have mostly dark-colored coats. Dr. Michael Nachman studies the evolutionary processes that led to these marked differences in rock pocket mouse populations. He has quantified the selective pressure imposed by predators and identified the genes involved in the adaptations of mouse populations to their substrates. Dr. Nachman’s work also demonstrates that similar selective pressures can drive evolution toward similar phenotypic adaptations but using very different genetic paths.

This version of the film pauses at three points where students answer questions about the film to assess their understanding of the concepts presented. After completing all quiz modules, students can view and print their answers.

The original version of the film, without the embedded assessment, is available to stream or download at https://www.biointeractive.org/making-fittest-natural-selection-and-adaptation

Version 2.3
Updated on 08/13/20