Looking for an innovative way to teach your students about Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution? Comparative physiology experiments are a great approach to explore this central concept in biology.

In honor of Darwin Day on February 12, our biology team has developed an experiment that investigates the comparative physiology of snails and fish. This experiment is an excellent way for students to learn about evolutionary biology concepts.

In this experiment, students measure the respiration rate of an aquatic snail, a goldfish (Carassius auratus), and a Betta fish (Betta splendens) using a small respiration chamber and a Go Direct^® Optical Dissolved Oxygen Probe.

Get the experiment overview and download the instructions.

More Evolution-Related Experiments from Investigating Biology through Inquiry

• “Evolution of Cellobiase in Fungi” using the Go Direct SpectroVis^® Plus Spectrophotometer
• “Introduction to Molecular Evolution”
• “Evolution of Yeast” using the Go Direct CO₂ Gas Sensor

Other Evolution-Related Experiment Ideas

• Exploring the Evolution of Temperature Regulation in Marine Mammals
• Studying the Diving Reflex in the Laboratory
• Study the Evolution of Respiratory Systems with a Go Direct CO₂ Gas Sensor