Exercise: Phylogeny




BIO372 : Evolution : Natural Selection & Adaptation : Exercise: Phylogeny

Exercise: Phylogeny

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DUE: 15-Mar-2000 Assignments sent after the due date will receive a grade of zero.

Biologists place species into groups with similar characteristics. The classification of organisms follows their evolutionary relationships, with most similar species being most closely related. Thus, a phylogenetic tree reflects both the similarity of species and, presumably, their evolutionary history. Go to The Tree of Life Home Page.

1. Follow the tree to its last branch and pick a taxon (preferably a species) about which there is enough information to answer the questions below. List the taxon in the assignment database. Pick a taxon which is not already listed in the assignment database. You may find complementary information about various taxa at the The Animal Diversity Web or at the The Phylogeny of Life.

Note: There are numerous incomplete branches in The Tree of Life. Among the branches worth exploring for this exercise are: Leptosporangiate Ferns, Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, Ustilaginomycetes, Cnidaria, various insects (Odonata, Orthoptera (Ensifera, Caelifera), some in the Endopterygota), Chordata (salamanders and frogs).

2. Describe the characteristics of the organism (i.e., the taxon): what are its distinguishing morphological features? Where is it native?

3. Is this organism advanced or primitive in its clade? How many nodes are there in its clade and how many nodes are there from the organism to the top of the clade?

4. What are the ecological habits of this species or of the group to which it belongs?

5. When did these organisms evolve: how many years ago and in what geological time?

6. What is the evidence (data) used for determining the time of origin of these organisms and for the evolutionary relationships within the group, e.g., the specific morphological, molecular, etc. information?

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E-mail Professor Gaud at William.Gaud@nau.edu
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