Criteria and Constraints:

• Your new organism is a combination of two or more organisms found on Earth.
• Your organism will have a suitable name.
• Your model for the new organism clearly shows or demonstrates the new observable characteristic(s) which benefit human-kind and/or the environment.
• You will describe how the new organism benefits human-kind and/or the environment when you complete the New Species Survey- (Word doc) or (rtf)

Background Information: Over time the environment changes. In order to survive, the organisms living in the environment must adapt to their changing surroundings. These adaptations often result in new physical characteristics that allow them to survive and thrive where they live. One example of an adaptation is the long neck of the giraffe. By having a long neck, a giraffe can reach the leaves of tall trees that other grazing animals cannot. It is also very useful for spotting predators, shedding excess heat using the increased surface area of the neck, and combating other males for mating rights. The long neck of the giraffe is a distinct advantage in its environment where grazing animals compete for food and survival on the savanna.

Modern medical technologies are allowing scientists to manipulate the genetic material of some species of plants and animals to produce new species which have desirable characteristics. Scientists have engineered corn to have inherent natural herbicidal and insecticide qualities. This could reduce the use of toxic pesticides and herb ices which can cause harm to the environment. Researchers in New Zealand have created a cow that produced skim milk instead of the full-fat version. Many scientists are work on projects to determine how genetic engineering can be used to help cure human diseases and reverse the effects of genetic defects. The benefits of genetic engineering can be great but there is still great debate about the long term safety of genially engineered crops and animals as well as ethical issues with human genetic engineering.

Examples of Cross Bred Animals: The griffin (see clip art above) is a mythological creature that is part lion and part eagle. The griffin symbolizes great strength and power because the lion is considered to be the "king" of beasts and the eagle the "king" of birds.

The web site worth1000.com holds an annual Photoshop® contest for digital artists where the artists combine three or more photographs of animals to make a new animal. While you are not limited only to the animal kingdom for this application, the contest submissions do give good ideas for your project even though there is no requirement in the Photoshop® contest for functional benefits to humans and/or the environment . So be wary of using the animal combinations in the gallery of photos.

Materials:

• You may use any materials found in or around your house for your model.

Presentation: You will create a model of your new organism and complete the New Species Survey as well as the self assessment rubric attached to the New Species Survey.- (Word doc) or (rtf)- You can use the electronic drawing tools of your word processing program to sketch your new organism, insert a digital picture of your completed model, or scan a drawing of your new organism into the survey. When you have completed the New Species Survey, upload it to the Genetic Engineering drop box. You may be asked to bring your completed model to the Lab 4 Face to Face meeting to share with the class.