Natural classification helps in identification of species, the prediction of shared characteristics within a group, and depicts evolutionary relationships between organisms.

• Define classification and homology.

• Outline the process of natural classification. 

• Outline how natural classification allows for prediction of characteristics and evolutionary relationships between species. 

• Compare natural classification to traditional classification schemes.

Natural classification helps in identification of species and allows the prediction of characteristics shared by species within a group (5.3.U8)

In natural classification, the genus and accompanying higher taxa consist of all the species that have evolved from one common ancestral species (5.3.U6)

Initial Knowledge Audit (ICI)

• For students

• For teachers

A clade is a group of organisms that have evolved from a common ancestor.  

• Define clade.

• Identify a clade as a branch in a phylogeny.

Cladograms are tree diagrams that show the most probable sequence of divergence in clade. 

• Analyze a cladogram to deduce evolutionary relationships, common ancestry and clades. 

• Interpret a cladogram depicting primate species.

5.4.U1:  A clade is a group of organisms that have evolved from a common ancestor 

5.4.U5:  Cladograms are tree diagrams that show the most probable sequence of divergence in clade 

5.4.A1:  Cladograms including human and other primates 

5.4.S1:  Analysis of cladograms to deduce evolutionary relationships

Great Clade Race activity and intro (ICTD)

Clade race answer

Cards for the Great Clade Race

Clade race with animals 

Pipe cleaner cladograms (ICTD)

Animal pipe cleaner cladogram 

Cladistics (ICTD)

Primate cladogram (ICTD)

Cladogram of 20 Species (11X17)

Tree thinking challenge #1

• Form for students

• Form for teachers

Tree Thinking Challenge #2 (as doc)

• As Google form for students

• As form for teachers

Tree thinking challenge #3 Quizizz

• Cat cladogram

• Canid cladogram

Cladogram of dog breeds

• Images of dog breeds

• Master cladogram of breeds

• Cladogram submission form for students

• Form for teachers

Benefits of phylogenetic research  (A&B)

The Lucky Ones (A&B)

• Questions for students

• Questions for teachers

Evolution in cats (A&B)

• Questions for students

• Questions for teachers

Evolutionary history of Carnivora inferred from mitochondrial genomes  (A&B)

Ornithologists Publish Most Comprehensive Avian Tree of Life (A&B)

• Questions for students

• Questions for teachers

Genomics of the origin and evolution of Citrus (A&B)

• Questions for students

• Questions for teachers

Learning about birds from their genomes

Cladograms can be interpreted to determine if traits, such as development of scurvy, are homologous or analogous.

• Interpret cladograms to determine if traits are homologous or analogous.

• State the function of ascorbic acid, Vitamin C.

• Analyze a cladogram based on the mutations in the GLO gene, used in Vitamin C synthesis. 

• Outline the cause, symptoms and treatment of scurvy.

• Based on cladistics, explain why some animals are poor models for the study of scurvy.

D.1.A1:  Production of ascorbic acid by some mammals, but not others that need a dietary supply. 

D.1.NOS:  Falsification of theories with one theory being superseded by another—scurvy was thought to be specific to humans, because attempts to induce the symptoms in laboratory rats and mice were entirely unsuccessful.

Vitamin C and Scurvy Information (ICTD)

Scurvy CFU

• For students

• For teachers

Evidence for which species are part of a clade can be obtained from the base sequences of a gene or the corresponding amino acid sequence of a protein.

• State that DNA and amino acids sequences can be molecular homologies.

• Outline the relationship between time, evolutionary relationships and biological sequences (nitrogenous base or amino acid). 

The development of bioinformatics applications allows for rapid and accurate identification of conserved sequences between species. 

• Define bioinformatics. 

• Use a database to access the base sequence of a gene.

• Use an online tool to construct a cladogram using DNA sequences.

3.1.S1  Use of a database to determine differences in the base sequence of a gene in two species

5.4.U2:  Evidence for which species are part of a clade can be obtained from the base sequences of a gene or the corresponding amino acid sequence of a protein 

7.3.NOS:  Developments in scientific research following improvements in computing; the use of computers has enabled scientists to make advances in bioinformatics applications such as locating genes within genomes and identifying conserved sequences.

Bioinformatics and Alignment notes (ICTD)

Sequence Analysis (as doc) (ICI)

• As Google form for students

• As form for teachers

How we're building the world's largest family tree (A&B TED talk)

New analysis of ancient human protein could unlock secrets of evolution

DNA SEQUENCES

• Calmodulin (sequences)

Questions to investigate:

• HIV and other viruses

• Penguin phylogenies

• Whale closest ancestor

• Marine mammals

• Random Species  COX-1 analysis

• Assigned species COX-1 analysis

• Woolly mammoth

• Foxes

AMINO ACID SEQUENCES

• Primate cladogram 

• Caffeine

• Cytochrome C sequences

• Primate HBB

• Rubisco

There is a positive correlation between the number of differences between two species and the time since they diverged from a common ancestor. 

• State the source of differences between biological sequences (nitrogenous base or amino acid).

• Outline the use of a “molecular clock” to determine time since divergence between two species.

Cladograms based on the base sequences of a gene or the corresponding amino acid sequence of a protein have shown the classifications of some groups based on visible characteristics did not correspond with the evolutionary origins of a group or species. 

• Outline why historical cladograms were based on visible characteristics. 

• Outline the role of technological advancements in the development of cladistics.

• Explain why the development of cladistics lead to the reclassification of some species.

• Outline the reason and evidence for the reclassification of the figwort family.

5.3.U7:  Taxonomists sometimes reclassify groups of species when new evidence shows that a previous taxon contains species that have evolved from different ancestral species. 

5.4.U6:  Evidence from cladistics has shown that classifications of some groups based on structure did not correspond with the evolutionary origins of a group or species.

5.4.A2:  Reclassification of the figwort family using evidence from cladistics 

5.4.NOS:  Falsification of theories with one theory being superseded by another- plant families have been reclassified as a result of evidence from cladistics.

Figwort reclassification (ICTD)

Vision Learning reclassification tree of life (A&B)

Do birds of a feather flock together?

Kahoot review (ICTD)

Quizizz Review (OCI)

1 page-summary (OCI)

• General directions

• Specifics for this unit

Final Knowledge Audit (ICI)

• For students

• For teachers