Download Supplemental Table 2: Pre- and Post-Assessment

Cutthroat trout in Colorado:
A case study connecting evolution and conservation
Sierra M. Love Stowell and Andrew P. Martin
Supplemental Table 2: Pre- and Post-Assessment Rubric
Item
Description
Options
Correct Response
Notes
d) 9, though c) 7 is
acceptable if the
colors do not
reproduce well
We used the rightmost phylogeny from
Figure 1 in (23) but
any phylogeny could
be used, adjusting for
the level of complexity
your students may be
used to reading in
trees.
<5
5-7
9
>9
Not enough information
d) >9. Students
should count
monophyletic clades
rather than colors.
We used the left-most
phylogeny from Figure
1 in (23) as a contrast
to the other phylogeny
in the figure. The goal
was to highlight that
different data sets
produced different
trees for the same
group of organisms.
… protected
… not protected
… legally uncertain
I don’t know
b) is strictly correct
(hybrids are not
mentioned anywhere
in the ESA) but c) is
also acceptable as
this is a major area of
debate in the courts
and the literature
Pre-assessment
1
Given this
phylogeny, how
many subspecies
would you
estimate based
on morphology?
2
Given this
phylogeny, how
many subspecies
would you
estimate based
on DNA?
3
Both grizzly
bears and polar
bears are on the
Endangered
Species List.
Under the
Endangered
Species Act, their
hybrid (the
pizzly? The grolar
bear?) is …
4
Populations with
many individuals
that are both
black and red
likely reflect …
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
a)
b)
c)
d)
3
5
7
9
Not enough information
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Gene flow
Selection
Drift
Mutation
I don’t know
a) is the most
plausible answer, but
the conclusion
depends on how the
analysis was
approached.
We used a
STRUCTURE plot
from Figure 10 in (24)
because the paper is
about the challenges
of species delimitation
and is similar to the
case of cutthroat trout
delimitations. Any
STRUCTURE plot
showing hybrid
individuals or
individuals that assign
to multiple clusters
could be used.
5
In my opinion,
hybridization is …
a) A threat to native
species
b) A natural evolutionary
processes
c) A and/or B depending
on the context
d) I don’t have an opinion
c) in an evolution
course, students
should recognize that
hybridization is
frequently a natural
evolutionary
processes that leads
to lineages
homogenizing or
even to the formation
of new lineages.
a) The number of clades
b) The branch lengths
c) The relationships
among the clades
d) They are the same
c) only the
relationships differ.
The use of the word
cladograms should
remind students that
branch lengths do not
vary but this is also
visible in the figure.
This question is meant
to address student
attitudes and ability to
think about evolution
in a conservation
context.
Post-assessment
1
2
3
Depending on the
kind of data used,
what differs
between these
cladograms?
Based on this
phylogeny, M. e.
jonesorum (red)
is a “good”
subspecies
a) True
b) False
c) Not enough information
Which statement
most closely
reflects the status
of hybrids under
the Endangered
Species Act?
a) Hybrids are not
protected by the ESA
and are not mentioned
anywhere in the Act.
b) Hybrids are protected
by the ESA if they are
the result of natural
contact.
c) Hybrids are not
protected by the ESA if
they pose an economic
threat to native
species.
d) Hybrids are protected
b) This taxonomic
group is not
monophyletic—red
labels are not sister
tips. c) may be fair if
students can argue
for alternative species
concepts, but the
complications may be
beyond the scope of
the course.
While the other
options may be
intellectually or
emotionally
appealing, a) is the
correct answer.
We used the graphical
abstract from (25)
because it contrasted
two phylogenies of the
same organisms
inferred from different
datasets. Again, the
goal is to highlight that
different data can lead
to different inferences.
We used Figure 4 from
(26) to illustrate that
taxonomy may not
align with phylogeny.
This question could be
adjusted to be more
isometric with the preassessment or used to
assess skill in reading
a phylogeny.
by the ESA if they
increase the genetic
diversity of a
threatened parent
4
The individuals
marked with a *
(asterisk) most
likely represent
…
a) Hybridization
b) Population
structure
c) Genetic drift
d) I don’t know
Depending on how
the analysis was
conduct, a), b) or c)
could be correct but
in this scenario, a) is
most plausible, as
hybrid individuals are
hybrid even when
higher numbers of
groups are tested.
We used Figure 3 from
(27) and marked
individuals that
assigned to multiple
groups with an
asterisk. Any
STRUCTURE plot that
shows individuals
assigning multiple
groups could be used.