EvoBeaker
EvoBeaker® is the most sophisticated software ever written for teaching micro- and macro-evolutionary biology.
With laboratories designed using an extensive formative and summative assessment protocol, funded in part by the National Science Foundation, EvoBeaker has been proven effective at overcoming common student misconceptions about evolutionary concepts. The labs are also fun, and most follow real studies, providing exposure to the evolutionary biology literature. Labs in the EvoBeaker suite are perfect for introductory and non-majors biology series as well as general evolution and genetics classes.
EvoBeaker Labs
EvoBeaker: Evolutionary EvidenceA powerful lab for introducing students to the evidence that convinces biologists that life on earth evolved. It covers a key piece of evidence for evolutionary theory, focusing on how related species should have nested sets of traits that reflect their evolutionary tree. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: Sickle-Cell AllelesAn interactive simulation of the classic malaria and sickle-cell anemia system is used to explore natural selection and genetic drift. Students examine African villages with different malaria death rates. First they use the Hardy-Weinberg equation to calculate the expected proportion of sickle-cell carriers from HbS and HbA allele frequencies. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: Darwinian SnailsAn introductory lab that examines the assumptions behind natural selection using an engaging interactive simulation of green crabs preying on periwinkle snails. Students are able to "violate" each assumption in turn to explore whether evolution by natural selection still occurs. Exercises are targeted to address common misconceptions among biology students. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: How the Guppy Got Its SpotsRecreate Endler's famous studies of guppy spot brightness in different streams in Trinidad. Students observe the pattern of spot brightness across several pools, then apply classic experimental techniques such as transplants, removals, and behavioral studies to uncover the mechanisms behind the pattern. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: Flowers and TreesIntroduces students to evolutionary trees using an interactive simulation of Columbine flower diversification. Students observe Columbine populations split and diverge while an expanding evolutionary tree illustrates each population's history. Students further learn to interpret evolutionary trees by creating their own and reconstructing the history of mystery populations. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: Hardy, Weinberg and KuruUses Kuru disease in New Guinea to teach Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Students discover the equilibrium principle from their observations, and play with violating the assumptions to explore the mechanisms of evolution. Also see the effect of heterozygote advantage. Suitable for both intro bio and advanced courses. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: HIV ClockWhen did HIV swing from chimps to humans? Explores the use of RNA sequence changes as a way of measuring time, including discussion of synonymous vs. non-synonymous mutations for detecting selection. At the end, students estimate the age of HIV-1. ... Read more + Add to course collection |
EvoBeaker: Domesticating DogsDomesticate dogs from two forest wolf populations into several villages. Then trade computers with another student and try to reconstruct their pattern of domestication by sampling dog DNA from each village and using simple evolutionary tree reconstruction algorithms. Along the way, see how mutations accumulate in neutral DNA sequences. ... Read more + Add to course collection |