2 min read•june 18, 2024
Samantha Himegarner
Jillian Holbrook
Samantha Himegarner
Jillian Holbrook
offer a visual representation of , and can even offer a by showing the amount of change in organisms over time. This type of diagram shows evolutionary relationships through distance, as organisms more closely related are located near each other and less closely related organisms are further apart.
More than that, phylogenetic trees show the gained or lost by species over time. By doing this, phylogenetic trees are a fundamental tool in to understand the relationships between different species, examine linked , and study the evolution of different characteristics and traits. 🧬🌳
Phylogenetic trees and both show relationships between lineages, but phylogenetic trees show the amount of change over time, which is calibrated by or a . are present in more than one lineage. are inherited from common ancestors. Comparing these characteristics of species informs the construction of evolutionary diagrams.
Cladograms typically focus on morphological (visible trait) similarities between species, such as beak type, meaning cladograms can be hypothesized with reasonable differences. However, molecular data, like DNA and/or , in phylogenetic trees often provide more accurate and reliable evidence than morphological traits. 🦜
Still, cladograms and phylogenetic trees both still illustrate common ancestry and .
Speciation is the process by which new species are formed. It occurs when a group of organisms becomes isolated from the rest of their population and evolves into a separate species over time through a variety of mechanisms, including , , or .
, or the points in which two species diverge/speciate, help point out the most recent of different species, which perhaps shows a trait that was shared, gained, or lost. The “” represents the lineage or species that is the least closely related to the rest of the organisms shown. 🐆
It is important to remember that phylogenetic trees and cladograms represent hypotheses, which means that they are constantly being revised based on new scientific evidence. This tool enables us to make predictions, but they do not perfectly model all evolutionary relationships.
Check out the AP Bio Unit 7 Replays or watch the 2021 Unit 7 Cram