TWISTED
Running time: 6 minutes. 2021
The Power of a Parasite
This short film follows a team of scientists on a quest to learn why frogs in California ponds are developing twisted and misshapen limbs. Their journey unravels an interesting tapestry of parasitism, predation, and biological hijacking that spans the food web.
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Applicable Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) by grade level include:
Grades 3-5
Middle School
High School
Crosscutting Concepts
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Students will learn about a complex form of multi-host parasitism.
Students will become familiar with the job of a research ecologist.
Students will learn how field work and laboratory research are used in concert to answer questions.
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Parasite - An organism that lives in or on an individual of another species and derives nutrients at their expense.
Host - An organism on which a parasite lives and from which the parasite derives nutrients.
Parasitism - The act of a parasite infecting and living off a host.
Trematode - Flatworms in the Class Trematoda, also known as flukes, that are parasitic and require multiple hosts to complete their life cycle. One host is usually a snail, and the host where flukes reproduce is a vertebrate.
Amphibian - Including frogs, toads, and salamanders, animals that are born in the water and typically can live on the land as adults.
Deformity - A physical feature that is different from the typical appearance of a species and that negatively impacts an individual’s survival.
Life Cycle - All stages of an organism’s life starting from an egg or seed and continuing through reproduction.
Ecosystem - An interconnected system consisting of all the living organisms and non-living features of the environment found in a particular place.
Watch the Film
In English. EN, ES closed captions optional (use 'CC' box in bottom control bar). Full screen viewing button on lower right.
Film Discussion and Reflection
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What is a parasite? What type of parasite is featured in this video?
What three types of animals does the parasite in this video need to complete its life cycle?
What advantage does the parasite gain from the frog developing misshapen limbs?
What is one way that the parasites shown in the film are introduced to new bodies of waters?
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Why do you think “some years, some sites, or some species” show more deformities than others?
If you were in charge of studying this phenomenon, what questions would you ask? How would you try to answer these questions?
Are the parasites described in the movie bad for the ecosystem, or just a part of it?
What would happen to the parasite population if all the frogs fall prey to birds?
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Dr. Pieter Johnson - Professor and Primary Investigator at the University of Colorado - Boulder
Images available to download for educational and classroom uses. Access more freshwater imagery at the Freshwaters Illustrated Archive.
Extended Exploration
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Malformation Nation - Information about amphibian malformation in North America and a reporting platform that can be used if you encounter toads or frogs with deformed limbs.
Johnson Lab - The laboratory website of Dr. Pieter Johnson, the researcher featured in the video.
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Related Pages and Lessons
Tags: click a tag to view other film pages related to that subject.
