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Please Note: Although you are encouraged to work as a table, each student will write up this lab individually in his/her lab notebook. The lab
is due on Monday, 3/16. The lab write-up includes:
Title
Parts A-D
o Complete tables, construct diagrams, answer questions as directed
o Please note: Complete sentences are not required for Parts A-D.
Lab Analysis
o Complete sentences required
……………………………………………………………………….
Introduction
Cladistics is the study of evolutionary classification. Cladograms show evolutionary relationships among organisms. Comparative morphology
investigates characteristics for homology and analogy to determine which organisms share a recent common ancestor. A cladogram will begin by
grouping organisms based on a characteristic displayed by all the members of the group. Subsequently, the larger group will contain increasingly
smaller groups that share the traits of the groups before them. However, they also exhibit distinct changes as the new species evolve. Further,
molecular evidence from genes which rarely mutate can provide molecular clocks that tell us how long ago organisms diverged, unlocking the secrets of
organisms that may have similar convergent morphology but do not share a common recent ancestor.
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Part B – Cladogram Construction Based on Morphological Characteristics
Examine the cladogram above illustrating the ancestry of these animals. Note that it reflects shared characteristics as time proceeds and how the
different animals are all at the same time level (across the top) since they all live today. In addition to your vast array of knowledge, please use any
classroom textbooks to determine the morphological characteristics of the organisms in the following table. Please Note: The universal common
ancestor cell represents an out-group and does not possess any of the derived characteristics.
Cut out the Part B Character table on the accompanying lab sheet and glue it into your Lab Notebook.
Use the Hillis textbook provided, along with the cladogram on the previous page, to complete the Character Table.
Mark the column with an X if the trait listed is essentially a characteristic of all organisms in the group described.
For every characteristic the organism possesses, put an X in that box. The table is partially completed for you.
Only 2 organisms listed share the same number of differences.
Character Table
Use this information to construct a cladogram in your Lab Notebook using the diagram below as a guide. Properly show all organisms and
shared morphological characteristics.
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Part C – Cladogram Construction Based on Molecular Evidence
Cytochrome c is a protein located in the mitochondria of cells involved with cellular respiration.
Cut out the table provided and glue it into your Lab Notebook.
Compare each organism’s Cytochrome c DNA sequences with the ancestor cell and each other.
o Use a ruler or straight edge to align the DNA nucleotides from every organism listed.
o Circle or highlight the differences (mutations) present in the Cytochrome c DNA sequences from ancestor cell.
o Determine the total number of mutations in each organism’s sequence as compared to the ancestor cell.
Use the data to construct a cladogram in your Lab Notebook.
Earthworm CTTATCGACCCGTTTATCCTACATTCCCGTCTACTTCGT
Cat TTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCATCTACTAAGT
Shark CTTATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCGTCTACTTCGT
Dolphin CTAATCCCCCCGTTTATCCTACTTTCCCATGTAGTAAGT
Sponge ATTATCGACCAGTTTATCCTACATTCCCGTCTACTTCGT
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Refer to the table below showing amino acid differences in the Cytochrome c protein of eight different species..
Construct a phylogenetic tree for the eight species listed above based on this information.
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