Exercise on Phylogeny

NAME: ASUNCION, KHATE CATHERINE B. DATE: APRIL 11, 2022

You have discovered the skeletons of five new fossil animals, and you would like to investigate their

phylogenetic relationships.

After being told that species "A" is very primitive, you decide to use it as the outgroup for a
phylogenetic analysis.

You construct the following character matrix:

7
6
5
4
3

2
1

1. Mark the character state transformations on the cladogram above.

2. Which character state is present in all five taxa? What is its implication to the tree?
The character state in which it is present in all five taxa is the Orbit. This indicates that the
character state is a common primitive character, often known as symplesiomorphy, which means that
these are useless for reconstructing evolutionary connections.

3. Which derived character states are found in only one terminal taxon? What is its
implication?
The derived character state which are only found in one terminal taxon is the Horn at tip of
snout and Bipedal, which also shows that the character is an autapomorphy, or a one-of-a-kind
derived character. Although autapomorphies can help us understand how an animal lived, they can't
tell us where it belongs in the cladogram.

4. Which derived character states are shared by more than one, but not all, terminal taxa?
Enumerate those characters. What is its implication?
The derived character states which shared by more than one, but not all terminal taxa are the
Forelimb and hindlimb with digits, Infratemporal fenestra, Antorbital fenestra, and
Mandibular fenestra. Its implication is that these character states are referred to as synapomorphies
(shared derived characteristics), and they are utilized to aid in the reconstruction of common ancestral
patterns.

5. How many character state changes are needed on this cladogram?

7-character state changes are needed on this cladogram.
Suppose someone proposes a different cladogram for these animals:

5
6 7 4
5 3
3
4
3

2
1

6. Map the character state changes onto this cladogram.

7. How many character state changes are needed on this cladogram?

11-character state changes are needed on this cladogram.

8. Which of the two cladograms is preferred?

I preferred the 1st cladogram, out of those two cladograms.

9. What was the basis for your decision? Explain.

My choice to use the first cladogram over the second cladogram was based on the fact that
the first cladogram contains the fewest character state changes. The simplest explanation that can
explain the data should be preferred, according to the principle of parsimony. The term "parsimony"
refers to the likelihood of a relationship assumption involving the fewest number of character changes.
As a result, the first cladogram was my personal favorite.

10. Now YOU do it. Four animals are shown below, along with a list of characters that might
help us understand their phylogenetic relationships. Indicate whether the indicated character
state is present or not. Show at least three (3) alternative trees and show the most
parsimonious tree. Animal A is the outgroup.

Complete the character matrix below:

Characters A B C D
1. Teeth missing
from front of YES YES YES YES
mouth
2. Bony frill along NO YES YES YES
back of skull
3. Large horn on NO NO YES YES
snout
4. Large horns NO NO NO YES
above eyes
5. Large hole on
surface of bony NO YES NO NO
frill
 TREE NO. 1

B C D
A 4
5

TREE NO. 2
D B C
A
4 5 3
3

TREE NO. 3

D B
C
A 3 5
4
3