Polyploidapalooza: Exploring the diversity and evolution of polyploid plants and animals
Author(s): Kaitlin Allen1, David Blackburn1
University of Florida
371 total view(s), 384 download(s)
- M1_ Polyploid_species_formation_answers.docx(DOCX | 8 MB)
- M1_ Polyploid_species_formation_blank.docx(DOCX | 8 MB)
- M2_ Polyploid_cell_division_answers_Q4update.docx(DOCX | 4 MB)
- M2_ Polyploid_cell_division_blank_Q4update.docx(DOCX | 3 MB)
- M3_ Polyploid_evolution_answers.docx(DOCX | 2 MB)
- M3_ Polyploid_evolution_blank.docx(DOCX | 2 MB)
- M4_ Polyploid_phylogenetics_answers.docx(DOCX | 132 KB)
- M4_ Polyploid_phylogenetics_blank.docx(DOCX | 149 KB)
- M5_ Polyploid_conservation_economics_answers.docx(DOCX | 1 MB)
- M5_ Polyploid_conservation_economics_blank.docx(DOCX | 1 MB)
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Description
General Description
Polyploidy plays an important role in the evolution of life but is often overlooked in undergraduate classrooms. In this series, we explore how polyploid species are formed, how they evolve and adapt, and their economic and conservation importance. This is done through a series of five separate modules.
Module 1 explores the genetic processes that lead to the natural and artificial formation of polyploids by exploring case studies of plants and animals that may be familiar to students.
Module 2 explores cell division in polyploid animals, focusing on the differences between allopolyploids and autopolyploids, as well as odd versus even ploidy levels.
Module 3 explores how polyploid animals evolve, including what happens to duplicate genomes after polyploidization, the effects of polyploidization on rapid adaptation, and the role that whole-genome duplications have played in vertebrate evolution.
Module 4 explores how to read and understand polyploid phylogenetic trees and how the genomic structure of polyploid organisms impacts phylogenetic analysis.
Module 5 explores several case studies on the conservation of polyploid species and the economic impact of polyploidization on our daily lives.
Context for Use
This series of modules is intended for use as a hands-on activity in an upper-level undergraduate biology classroom, for example, a genetics or evolution course.
Instructor Notes
Some prior knowledge about genetics and evolution is needed to use these modules, but no previous knowledge about polyploidy is necessary. These modules are written in a way that they build off of each other conceptually, but may also be used individually if necessary. Each should take around 1 hour to complete but may take up to 2 if used as a discussion prompt.
Cite this work
Researchers should cite this work as follows:
- Kaitlin Allen, David Blackburn (2023). Polyploidapalooza: Exploring the diversity and evolution of polyploid plants and animals. (Version 2.0). QUBES Educational Resources. doi:10.25334/7Y4D-E828