ANNELADIES (Daroy, Lacaden, Regacho, San Pedro, Soriano)

Zoo 111.1 bc
Systematics and Phylogenetics Questions to Answer
1. You will notice that some lineages (e.g. the descendants of species 56)
branched many times and are represented by many living species. Discuss
the ecological conditions that you think might result in the rapid
diversification of some lineages (A real world example would be the
diversification of the mammals at the beginning of the Cenozoic, right
after the dinosaurs went extinct.)
Some lineages branched many times and are represented by many living species.
The ecological conditions that might result in the rapid diversification of some
lineages are:

Migration a certain population moved and joined another population

Natural selection process in which the environmental pressures result into
differential survival and reproduction of individuals in a population. It factors
heritable traits in varying population that fit the existing environmental
condition.
Genetic drift is a change in the frequency of an allele by chance
Mutation a random change in the sequence of the DNA
Adaptive radiation - which is the rapid diversification of species into several new
species. It is a mechanism of macroevolution based on pre-adaptation or
exaptation that is a condition of having the necessary function before the
biological role or need arises.
Coevolution another mechanism of macroevolution based on exaptation
wherein there is a joint evolution of two species that later becomes
interdependent
Speciation is a process by which new species are produced due to geological
factors. There are four modes of speciation: parapatric mode of speciation
wherein the new species formed from a continuously distributed population,
sympatric wherein new species are formed within the range of the ancestral
population, peripatric wherein a small population isolated at the edge of a larger
population is where new species are formed, and allopatric wherein new species
are formed from geographical isolated populations

2. Some lineages (e.g. the descendants of species 58) changed very little
over time. A good example of this would be living fossils like the
horseshoe crab or cockroach. Again, discuss the ecological conditions that
might result in this sort of long-term evolutionary stasis.
Stasis is generally referred to as the little or no net species-wide
morphological change during a species lineages existence over a million of years
(Eldredge et. al, 2005). They concluded that the stasis is caused by the geographic

structure and distribution of genetic material with a vast group of species. Although
many species exhibits rapid diversification, there are some species that also exhibit
stasis. Cockroach exhibits this kind of evolution and is accredited by Eldredge as a
living fossil that have persisted essentially unchanged for hundreds of millions of
years. Little morphological and genetic change occur in this species yet they survive
because the stasis provide stability. The theory of punctuated equilibria species
originate too rapidly to enable their origins to be traced by paleontologists
(punctuation), and then persist unchanged through geological time in stasis
(equilibrium) (Gingerich, 2007). He also include that all is due to a mysterious
shared homeostasis that is postulated to regulate the collective morphology of
individuals. When species-level homeostasis is working, species persist unchanged;
when species-level homeostasis breaks down, speciation results.

3. Some Caminalcules went extinct without leaving descendents. In the

real world, what factors might increase or decrease the probability of a
species going extinct?

4. Find two additional examples of convergent evolution among the

Caminalcules. This means finding cases where two or more species have a
similar characteristic that evolved independently in each lineage. The
wings of bats, birds and bees is an example of convergence since the
three groups did not inherit the characteristic from their common
ancestor. Write your answers in complete sentences (e.g. Species x and y
both have ____ but their most recent common ancestor, z, did not).
List two additional real-world examples of convergent evolution (ones that
we have not already talked about in class) and discuss what might have
caused the convergence.
Some examples of convergent evolution among the animalcules are as follows:

Species 1 and Species 16 both have a fused (horizontally elongated) eye, which
is not exhibited by their most recent common ancestor, Species 63.
Species 3 and Species 12 both exhibit claws, a characteristic which they did not
share with their most recent common ancestor, Species 63.

Some real world examples of convergent evolution include:

Cacti and euphorbs. These both exhibit longitudinal ribs and stipular spines and
are usually mistaken as each other because they share many similar physical
characteristics, but they actually belong to different families (cacti from
Cactaceae and euphorbs Euphorbiaceae) and come from different parts of the

world (cacti in the Americas and euphorbs from Africa). Despite these, they face
the same environmental conditions (they usually grow in deserts) and the
convergence between them may have been resulted from the need to adapt to
the hot, dry conditions of their habitats.
Several lizards which are distantly related and belong to different families (e.g
agamids, anguids, gymnopthlamids, lacerids, skinks, and teiids) have evolved
colorful tails as a strategy for transferring their attention to their tails instead of
their more vital features (as they can break off and regenerate their tails in case
of a predator attack.)

5.
a. Describe two examples of vestigial structures that you can find among
the Caminalcules. These are structures that have been reduced to the
point that they are virtually useless. Ear muscles and the tail bones are
examples of vestigial structures in our own species.

41-66-22

Number 41 has three digits. Likewise, 66 has three digits but one of
it became less
prominent. Its descendant, 22, however, has digits
reduced only into 2.

18-64-75-3

Number 18 has two feetlike structures/ hindlimbs which clings

together and became
more likely as a tail. These structures became separated
into two prominent hindlimbs in 64.
The hindlimbs became smaller in 75 until it
appeared to merely small protrusions in 3.

b. Explain how vestigial structures provide clues about a species

evolutionary past. Illustrate your argument with vestigial structures found
in humans or other real species.
Vestigial structures refer to an organ or part which is greatly reduced from
the original ancestral form that is no longer functional or is of reduced or altered
function. They provide a clue to the evolutionary history of a species because
reduced organ of the extant or known species are said to be remnants of their
ancestral species and therefore, make it possible for their lineage to be traced
backwards. One of the example is the appendix of humans. It was believed that it

has once been large and functional before in terms of digestion and was likened to
the appendix of rabbits. Though we are not linked to such species, some
evolutionists believed that the appendix lost its use because man has changed their
diet. The wisdom teeth was also considered by Darwin to be a vestigial left-overs
from our ancestral apes. They fail to develop properly in man due to lack of space
in the jaw. But the case is not quite similar to apes because they have wider jaw.
Moreover, vestigial legs are clues that snakes descended from lizards. Phytons and
boa constrictors have tiny hind leg bones burried in muscles toward their tail ends.

References:
The Pennsylvania State University. (2016). Analogous Structures and Convergent
Evolution. Retrieved 4 February 2016 from
https://online.science.psu.edu/biol011_sandbox_7239/node/7328
Pianka, E. (2008). Convergent Evolution. Retrieved February 4, 2016 from
http://www.zo.utexas.edu/courses/thoc/convergence.pdf
Gingerich, P. (2007). Punctuated Equilibrium. Paleontologia Electronica. Vol. 10(3).
Retrieved February 4, 2016 from http://palaeoelectronica.org/2007_3/books/equal.htm
Eldredge, N., Thompson, J., Brakefield, P., Gavrilets, S.,Joblonski, D., Jackson J.,
Lienski, R.,Lieberman, B.,McPeek, M., Millwe, W. (2005). The dynamics of
evolutionary stasis. Paleobilogy. Vol 31(2), pp. 133-145. Retrieved February 3,
2016 from http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gavrila/papers/stasis.pdf
Vestigial Structure-Evolution
https://prezi.com/5f5nxqplhrjw/vestigial-structures-evolution/
Vestigial Organs-A snake with legs!
www.amnh.or/exhibitions/daarwin/evolution-today/how-do-we-know-living-thingsare-related/vestigial-organs