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Chapter 12
Chapters 13-15 included
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
To make sense out of lifes diversity organisms are classified
and named based on their characteristics
Phylogeny
The evolutionary history and the relationships among a species or group
of species
Systematics
The study of organisms with the purpose of deriving their relationships
Taxonomy
The science of classifying organisms
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy is based on the work of Karl von Linne (Linnaeus)
Organisms are grouped based on shared characteristics
Individual organisms are identified as a species
Morphologically different from other groups
Do not interbreed with other groups
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy
One or more species which share characteristics are placed in a
group called a taxon (plural is taxa)
The first taxon is the genus
Each species is assigned a name based on their genus plus a
descriptive specific epithet
Genus species
Italics
The genus is capitalized, species is not
Binomial naming system designed by Linneaus
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy
Taxa are then placed in broader
more inclusive categories (still
based on shared characteristics
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy
The levels of taxa from the most inclusive/broad to the most
exclusive are:
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus: Musca
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
Order = Diptera
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
Order = Diptera
Class = Insecta
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
Order = Diptera
Class = Insect
Phylum = Arthropoda
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
Order = Diptera
Class = Insect
Phylum = Arthropoda
Kingdom = Animalia
ORGANIZING LIFE ON EARTH
Taxonomy of a house fly
From most exclusive or specific to the most inclusive
Species = Musca domestica
Genus = Musca
Family = Muscidae
Order = Diptera
Class = Insect
Phylum = Arthropoda
Kingdom = Animalia
Domain = Eukarya
DETERMINING EVOLUTIONARY
RELATIONSHIPS
Organisms that share similar physical features (morphology)
and genetic sequences tend to be more closely related than
those that do not
Homologies
Features overlap morphologically and genetically
Arrangement of bones in the wing of a bird and the arm of a human
DETERMINING EVOLUTIONARY
RELATIONSHIPS
Organisms that share similar physical features (morphology)
and genetic sequences tend to be more closely related than
those that do not
Analogies
Characteristic is superficially similar, but is not genetically similar
Comparison of wings between birds and insects
Lead to mis-classification of organisms
DETERMINING EVOLUTIONARY
RELATIONSHIPS
Molecular comparisons
Relatedness is now determined on more than just morphology
Cell type, cell wall, reproduction, nutrition, motility, etc.
Most importantlygenetic similarities
Genetic relatedness
Genetic information is compared
Species A: AACTAGCGCGAT
Species B: AACTAGCGCCAT
Species C: T T CTAGCGG TAT
Shows evolutionary relatedness (phylogenetic)
DETERMINING EVOLUTIONARY
RELATIONSHIPS
Molecular comparisons
Genetic analysis of many organisms resulted in three distinct
lineages or Domains
Bacteria
Archae
Eukarya
QUESTIONS
What is the correct way to write a scientific binomial name?
What is taxonomy?
Which is the most inclusive taxon?
Which is the most exclusive taxon?
Give an example of a homology
Name one domain
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram (a type of phylogenetic tree)
Depicts relatedness of organisms which are arranged on
branches
Those close to one another are more closely related
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Branch points represent where a single lineage evolved into
distinct new ones
Common ancestor is represented by the single branch point at
the base
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Organisms are indicated at the end of each branched line
Closely related: Rabbit and Lizard/3 and 4
Less closely related: Rabbit and Lancelet/1 and 5
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Significant character changes are indicated
Must be quantifiable and heritable (Physical, behavioral, physiological, or
molecular trait)
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Shared ancestral character (symplesiomorphy)
All members of the lineage have this character
Vertebral column/Letter A
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Shared derived characters (synapomorphies) are traits that
Arose since common ancestry
Define each branching point
Hinged jaw, legs, etc/Letters B-H
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Outgroup shares only the ancestral character (symplesiomorphy)
Derived characters (synapomorphies) arose later evolutionarily
Lancelet/#5
Clade: groups (taxa) that share a synapomorphy
PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Cladogram
Idealy taxonomists will be able to create
monophylogentic cladograms containing
A common ancestor
All the descendants
Many cladograms are still either poly- or
para-phylogenetic as there is missing
information about species, relatedness, and
evolutionary history
QUESTIONS
Character Shares only the first character with the other group members
Monophylogenetic Character which has arisen since common ancestry with the outgroup
Bacteria Photosynthetic