Fred Lally's Collection: Evolution and Mutations Quiz and Flashcards

In 19th century America, people flocked to dime museums to view odd and unusual creatures, including those with real mutations.
Mutations are changes in our genes, deep within every cell, which can result in altered or damaged genes.
Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, had a severe mutation that caused Proteus syndrome, resulting in large bony growths covering the right side of his body.
Today, human mutations are no longer a source of entertainment, but people are still fascinated by creatures with unusual characteristics.
Fred Lally has spent 50 years collecting unusual reptiles, including a two-headed snake named Golden Girls, which he purchased for $20,000.
Golden Girls is a rare reptile that wouldn't survive in the wild and depends on Fred's care and attention.
Dr. Margaret Castle studies genetic diseases in young animals and has a conjoined pig with one head and two bodies.
Conjoined twins are rare, with only a few hundred pairs born each year, and are often stillborn or live for only a few days.
The exact cause of conjoined twins is unknown, but it's believed to be a combination of genetics and environment.
Mutations are a natural process that occurs every day, but most of the time they're invisible and have no consequence.
Cells in our body divide and replicate their DNA, but sometimes a copying error can take place, resulting in a mutation if not corrected by the body's proofreading enzymes.
Mutations can occur in any cell in the body and can be inherited if they occur in cells that give rise to eggs or sperm.
Inherited mutations can be detrimental, causing birth defects, or beneficial, leading to stronger bones or whiter teeth.
The town of Olney, Illinois, is home to a population of albino squirrels, which are a result of a color mutation, and are believed to have originated from a pair found in 1902.

• The town of Olney has a special affinity for white squirrels, which are rare and have a unique genetic condition called albinism, characterized by the absence of melanin, resulting in white fur and pale eyes.

• The cause of albinism in animals is a mutation in the genes that determine eye and hair color, which code for the production of melanin; a mutation in these genes means little or no melanin is produced, resulting in an albino animal.

• Genes come in pairs, and every baby squirrel receives one from each parent; it's only when both parents pass on a mutated gene that the baby is an albino.

• Albino animals, including squirrels, have a slight disadvantage in the struggle for survival due to their poor eyesight and lack of camouflage, making them more vulnerable to predators.

• In Olney, police officers are tasked with protecting albino animals, and harming them in any way is an offense; the town's efforts have helped stabilize the population of albino squirrels.

• Mutations can sometimes be an advantage, giving animals an edge over their competitors; for example, a genetic mutation enabled a small group of humans to survive the deadly disease of the plague in the 14th century.

• The plague swept through Europe, killing 25 million people, but a small group of people with a mutation that made them resistant to the plague bacteria survived and increased in number over time.

• Descendants of these survivors are now helping researchers battle modern-day diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, by analyzing their blood samples and identifying the mutated gene that prevents the virus from penetrating white blood cells.

• A remarkable mutation arose after humans domesticated cows, allowing some people to digest lactose even as adults; this mutation spread slowly in populations where dairying became established, enabling most people to enjoy drinking milk throughout their lives.

• This mutation was mainly helpful in northern European cultures where dairying became the norm, but in cultures that didn't drink a lot of milk, the mutation didn't take hold, and even today, many Africans and Asians are still lactose intolerant.

• Mutations are random events that can occur for better or for worse, but natural selection determines which mutations catch on and which fall by the wayside.

• Paleontologists can trace millions of years of evolutionary change packed into just a few centimeters of rock, and the history of life is a history of change governed by mutation.

• When environments begin to change, mutations offer random solutions; an advantageous mutation might help a species survive, while another species may face extinction.

• Island populations offer a unique glimpse of how mutation and natural selection can work very quickly under the right conditions, leading to rapid evolution and adaptation to new environments.

• The Galapagos Islands are home to unique species that have evolved from a common ancestor, such as tortoises with distinct shell shapes, gray macaque monkeys, and black crest macaque monkeys.

• The Island of Sulawesi in Southeast Asia has a similar story of evolution, with early arrivals evolving into over 100 unique species that exist nowhere else.

• The humble monitor lizard has colonized many islands in Indonesia and has evolved into different forms, such as the emerald tree monitor, which uses its tail to balance in the canopy.

• On the island of Komodo, the descendants of the monitor lizard have evolved into the largest and most fierce lizard in the world, the Komodo dragon.

• Mutation and natural selection have been the driving forces behind evolution since life began on Earth.

• Humans have begun engineering evolution to suit their needs by selecting mutations and breeding them, such as domesticating the wild red jungle fowl to create the domestic chicken.

• Selective breeding has also produced a sensuous array of blooms in wild roses, koi carp, and dogs, which were domesticated from wolves.

• The partnership between dogs and humans was of mutual benefit, providing protection, shelter, and easy access to food for dogs, and loyalty and companionship for humans.

• Different breeds of dogs were developed for specific characteristics, such as intelligence, confidence, and hunting ability.

• Some breeds, such as the sholo or Mexican hairless dog, have strayed far from their original purpose and would not survive without human care.

• Radiation from sunlight can cause mutations in DNA, leading to skin cancer, and chemical mutagens, such as those found in barbecue smoke, can also damage DNA.

• The effects of radiation were witnessed during the second World War, when atomic bombs were detonated in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, causing widespread devastation and a lethal legacy of radiation.

• The study of genetics began to come of age in the 1950s, when Watson and Crick discovered the structure of DNA, and the science of genetics has continued to evolve since then.

• Fruit flies have been critical to genetic research for almost 100 years, due to their ease of growth, robustness, and simplicity of genetics.

• Thomas Morgan's research on fruit flies in the early 20th century proved that genes are contained in chromosomes within every living cell.

• Fruit fly research has enabled scientists to understand how genes work, and has led to major discoveries, such as the identification of genes that determine body shape and pattern.

• The discovery of chaperone proteins that can hide or paper over small mutations in the gene code has major implications for evolutionary research.

• Scientists have turned to animals closer to humans on the evolutionary tree, such as mice, to study genetic diseases and apply knowledge to human diseases.

• Geneticist Monica Justice is researching mutation in mice, using a powerful chemical mutagen to cause mutations, and is applying this knowledge to similar diseases in humans.

• Researchers at the MD Anderson Cancer Center are creating mouse mutations by targeting individual genes and altering them with pinpoint accuracy.

• Within 50 years of discovering the structure of DNA, scientists now have the tools to cut and paste it so precisely, and are using this technology to model human diseases in mice.

• The study of mutation is crucial to understanding how diseases develop and how they can be treated.

Exploring Mutations and Evolution

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Questions and Answers

What was the main attraction in 19th century America's dime museums?

What is the result of Joseph Merrick's severe mutation?

What is the result of a mutation in the genes that determine eye and hair color in animals?

Why does Golden Girls, the two-headed snake, depend on Fred's care and attention?

What is the advantage of having a mutation that makes humans resistant to the plague bacteria?

What is the estimated number of conjoined twins born each year?

Why are albino animals more vulnerable to predators?

What is the result of a copying error during cell division that is not corrected by the body's proofreading enzymes?

What is the condition that results in white fur and pale eyes in the squirrels of Olney, Illinois?

What is the result of a genetic mutation that enabled some people to digest lactose even as adults?

What is believed to be the cause of conjoined twins?

Why are police officers in Olney, Illinois tasked with protecting albino animals?

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