A Small Gene Pool: teacher key

Philippine Eagles, grade 11 edition, written for 11th grade. DNA from 35 Philippine eagles shows very low genetic diversity. Learn what the genome study found and how eagles are being returned to Leyte.

Read the book. Print this page for the key.

Questions and answers

1. How many Philippine eagles had their DNA sequenced in the 2026 study?
   • 35 (answer)
   • 350
   • 5
2. How long did the 2026 study suggest the population has been declining?
   • About 30 years
   • About 3,000 years (answer)
   • About 300 years
3. What did the Philippine Eagle Foundation say about the species' genetic diversity?
   • It is the highest of any raptor
   • It is extremely low (answer)
   • It is about average
4. What wiped out the eagle population on Leyte in 2013?
   • Typhoon Yolanda (answer)
   • A fire
   • A flood of rivers
5. Why do researchers call low genetic diversity a concern?
   • It can make eagles more vulnerable (answer)
   • It makes eagles bigger
   • It helps eagles fly

Words

• heterozygosity: gene variety measure
• inbreeding: mating among relatives
• reintroduction: bringing back
• genome: all its DNA
• fragmentation: breaking into patches