Out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our visitors and staff, the museum will be closing at 3 pm on December 24 due to the impending storms. The museum will be closed Thursday, December 25 for the Christmas holiday. We will reopen Friday, December 26.

Fox Skull Size Change

Learn about island dwarfism in this math lesson!

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Fox diorama with three foxes

Recommended for Grades 5 & 6

Overview

The Channel Island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is an example of "island dwarfism," where animals evolve a smaller body size compared to their mainland relatives due to the environmental pressures and conditions on islands. In this math activity, you will use measurments of the skull length in the mainland gray fox and the island fox to quantify this change! 

Are you visiting NHM or the Tar Pits? Connect this activity to your visit by finding the fox at NHM or the Pygmy Mammoth at the Tar Pits! 

Location

  • Classroom

Materials