Extreme Arthropods: Exploring Evolutionary Adaptations to Polar and Temperate Deserts

by: Luke Sandro, Juanita M. Constible, and Richard E. Lee, Jr.

In this activity, Namib and Antarctic arthropods are used to illustrate several important biological principles. Among these are the key ideas that form follows function and that the environment drives evolution. In addition, students will discover that the climates of the Namib Desert and the Antarctic Peninsula are similar in several ways, and that these arthropods have evolved some analogous adaptations. This investigation is a good introduction to the phylum Arthropoda, the most successful group of animals on Earth, and spotlights the group’s ability to occupy some of the most challenging niches on the planet (National Science Content C—Life Science; NRC 1996).

Details

Type Journal ArticlePub Date 7/1/2007Stock # ss07_030_09_24Volume 030Issue 09

NSTA Press produces classroom-ready activities, hands-on approaches to inquiry, relevant professional development, the latest scientific education news and research, assessment and standards-based instruction.

Learn More