A Jaguar Genome: teacher key

Jaguars, grade 10 edition, written for 10th grade. Scientists have read the jaguar's genes, tracked it with GPS collars and studied how it lives. Follow the evidence for what colors a jaguar, how far it travels, and how it hunts, eats and swims.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many jaguars wore GPS collars in the 2016 study?
   • 4
   • 44 (answer)
   • 440
2. How many copies of the MC1R change does a jaguar need to be black?
   • Two
   • Three
   • Just one (answer)
3. Which statement about black coats is supported by this book?
   • Jaguars and leopards get a black coat from the same gene change
   • A black coat in a jaguar and in a leopard comes from different gene changes (answer)
   • Black coats come from a recessive version of MC1R in jaguars
4. What does hybridization mean in this book?
   • Mixing between species (answer)
   • Swimming in rivers
   • Living alone
5. Where is the oldest known American fossil assigned to the jaguar lineage from?
   • Hamilton Cave in West Virginia (answer)
   • The Amazon
   • Argentina

Words

• genome: set of genes
• dominant: one copy enough
• recessive: needs two copies
• hybridization: mixing species
• Panthera: big-cat group
• gene: trait instruction