Comparing DNA Sequences To Understand Evolutionary Relationships With BLAST

Katie Alpert
Pre Lab:
1.

2a. The percentage of similarity in the gene is always lower than the percentage
similarity in a protein because no two people have the same DNA sequence.
However, all people make the same proteins because the amino acid sequences are
the same even though the genes are not identical. There can be more than one codon
coding for a group of three amino acids, so different DNA sequences can produce the
same proteins.
2b.

Hypothesis:
The fossil will break off of the branch that is labeled crocodilians in between palatal
valve and before feathers because it has a palatal valve but not feathers.

Observations:

The Similarities Between the Gene Sequences of Different Species and the Unknown
Species

Analysis:
1. The red junglefowl/ chicken is most closely related to the unknown gene
because it has the highest max score (10129), and a low E value of 0.0.

Conclusion:
1. The hypothesis was incorrect because the unknown species branched off of
the bird branch rather than the crocodilians line. This means that the fossil is
more closely related to birds than crocodilians. This is because the unknown
gene was most similar to the gene of the red jungle fowl or chicken because it
had the highest max score and the same low E value as the rest of the
organisms. The high max score means that the two gene sequences are very
closely related, and the low E value means there were very few errors or
differences between the sequences.
2. Our classmates agree with our placement of the fossil because they too
placed the unknown species in the same location. They also used the max
score to discover that the fossil branches off of the bird. They also observed
that the fossil had vertebrae so it was past that point on the cladogram.
3. Scientists could also collect data about whether the species has wings,
feathers, or a beak to see if it is more closely related to another specific
species of bird.