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Cladogram Analysis

1. The document discusses cladograms, which depict evolutionary relationships among groups based on shared derived characteristics. It provides an example of constructing a cladogram using a character matrix. 2. Molecular data on cytochrome c amino acid and DNA sequences is presented for various organisms. Comparing these sequences can indicate evolutionary relationships, as more similar sequences suggest closer relation. 3. Adaptive and nonadaptive variations provide different insights for phylogenetic inference. Adaptive variations are influenced by environmental pressures, allowing full divergence between populations adapting to new environments. Nonadaptive changes occur randomly but can later become adaptive.

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Erika Therese De la Torre
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499 views

Cladogram Analysis

1. The document discusses cladograms, which depict evolutionary relationships among groups based on shared derived characteristics. It provides an example of constructing a cladogram using a character matrix. 2. Molecular data on cytochrome c amino acid and DNA sequences is presented for various organisms. Comparing these sequences can indicate evolutionary relationships, as more similar sequences suggest closer relation. 3. Adaptive and nonadaptive variations provide different insights for phylogenetic inference. Adaptive variations are influenced by environmental pressures, allowing full divergence between populations adapting to new environments. Nonadaptive changes occur randomly but can later become adaptive.

Uploaded by

Erika Therese De la Torre
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name: Erika Therese O.

De la Torre Date: February 10, 2024

CLADOGRAM ANALYSIS

What is a cladogram? It is a diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among groups. It is based on
PHYLOGENY, which is the study of evolutionary relationships. Sometimes a cladogram is called a phylogenetic
tree (though technically, there are minor differences between the two).

In the past, biologists would group organisms based solely on their physical appearance. Today, with the
advances in genetics and biochemistry, biologists can look more closely at individuals to discover their pattern
of evolution, and group them accordingly - this strategy is called EVOLUTIONARY CLASSIFICATION

CLADISTICS is form of analysis that looks at features of organisms that are considered "innovations", or newer
features that serve some kind of purpose. (Think about what the word "innovation" means in regular
language.) These characteristics appear in later organisms but not earlier ones and are called DERIVED
CHARACTERS.

1. Fill out the following character matrix. Mark an “X” if an organism has the trait. (5pts)
Cells Legs Antenna Wings 2 sets of wings

Worm X

Spider X X

Carpenter Ant X X X x

House fly X X X X

Dragonfly x X x x x

2. Create a cladogram based off your matrix below. (5pts)


Answer the following:

3. According to your cladogram, which two species are more closely related: worms and spiders or
worms and ants? How do you know?
- Worms and spiders are more closely related because they have more similar characteristics than
worms and ants which are both farther from the cladogram.
4. According to your cladogram, what species are dragonflies most closely related to? How do you
know?
- Dragonflies are most closely related to houseflies because they both have wings.
Use the following cladogram to answer the questions below.
Answer the following:
5. What trait separates lampreys from tuna on this cladogram?
- Jaws
6. What separates a salamander from a turtle?
- Amniotic egg
7. Which organism is most related to the leopard?
- turtle
8. Which organism’s DNA will differ the most from the leopard? Why?
- Lancelet because it has the least similar characteristics and is the farthest from the cladogram.
Biologically, one could use anatomical features, behavior, or molecular similarities and differences in
constructing a cladogram. Molecularly, one could look at the number of mutations in a common strand of
DNA. Another way would be to compare strings of amino acids and note differences in the order of the
amino acids.
Cytochrome c is a protein located in the mitochondria of cells involved with cellular respiration. Below is a
table showing the amino acid sequences for cytochrome c in several organisms.
Organism Biochemical Data

Amoeba Amino Acid Sequence: ISO-SER-ASP-GLN-PHE-ILE-LEU-GLN-SER-ARG-LEU-LEU-HIS DNA Sequence:


ATTAGCGACCAGTTTATCCTACAATCCCGTCTACTTCAT

Kangaroo Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-PRO-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-LEU-SER-HIS-LEU-LEU-SER DNA Sequence:


CTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCATCTACTAAGT

Earthworm Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-ASP-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-HIS-SER-ARG-LEU-LEU-ARG DNA Sequence:


CTTATCGACCCGTTTATCCTACATTCCCGTCTACCTTCGT

Cat Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-PRO-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-LEU-SER-HIS-LEU-LEU-SER DNA Sequence:


TTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCATCTACTAAGT

Shark Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-PRO-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-LEU-SER-ARG-LEU-LEU-ARG DNA Sequence:


CTTATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCGTCTACTTCGT

Dolphin Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-PRO-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-LEU-SER-HIS-VAL-VAL-SER DNA Sequence:


CTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCATGTAGTAAGT

Lizard Amino Acid Sequence: LEU-ISO-PRO-PRO-PHE-ILE-LEU-LEU-SER-ARG-LEU-LEU-ARG DNA Sequence:


CTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCGTCTACTTCGT

Sponge Amino Acid Sequence: ISO-ISO-ASP-GLN-PHE-ILE-LEU-HIS-SER-ARG-LEU-LEU-ARG DNA Sequence:


ATTATCGACCAGTTTATCCTACATTCCCGTCTACTTCGT

Answer the following:


9. The more amino acids that an organism has in common, both type and order, indicates the closer the
relationship. The same is true for nucleotides. Compare the biochemical data above. Which organism
is most closely related to the lizard? Why?
- Shark because they have similar amino acid sequence with lizard.
10. Which organism is most closely related to the Dolphin? Why?
- Cat and kangaroo because they have similar amino acid sequence with dolphin
11. How do you think different amino acid sequences would effect organisms? Explain your answer.
- Amino acid sequences determine shape and function of protein and its change could alter its shape
and function and, thus, change the characteristic that it codes for. This change in trait could either be
preserved and passed on to the next generation or rejected as it causes harm to the animal.
12. There is evidence that many of the differences in DNA sequence among species are not adaptive.
Other differences among species, both in DNA and in morphology, are adaptive (as you will see in
Chapters 3, 5, and 7). Do adaptive and nonadaptive variations differ in their usefulness for
phylogenetic inference? Can you think of ways in which knowledge of a character’s adaptive function
would influence your judgment of whether or not that character provides evidence for relationships
among taxa? Cite references.
- Adaptive and nonadaptive variations differ uniquely in their usefulness for phylogenetic inference.
For nonadaptive variations, this is beyond geographical aspects as it happens at random chance only
and passed on depending on the fitness of the trait. While adaptive variation happens to a certain
environment it is in (Ghalambor et al., 2007). This means that to establish and persist in the new
environment, there is the possibility that the adaptive variations fully diverge between the population.
However, these adaptive variations could have stemmed from nonadaptive variations. Endemic
animals are examples of animals that have diverged from the original population to suit a new
environment.

References:

Ghalambor, C. K., McKay, J. K., Carroll, S. P., & Reznick, D. N. (2007). Adaptive versus non-adaptive phenotypic
plasticity and the potential for contemporary adaptation in New Environments. Functional Ecology,
21(3), 394–407. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2007.01283.x

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