Question

Unit 4 Sample Work: In this sample work, you will review biodiversity, carrying capacity, and phylogenic trees.

Part 1: CLADOGRAM ANALYSIS
What is a cladogram? It is a diagram that depicts evolutionary relationships among groups. It is based on PHYLOGENY, which is the study of evolutionary relationships. Sometimes a cladogram is called a phylogenetic tree (though technically, there are minor differences between the two).
CLADISTICS is form of analysis that looks at features of organisms that are considered "innovations", or newer features that serve some kind of purpose. (Think about what the word "innovation" means in regular language.) These characteristics appear in later organisms but not earlier ones and are called DERIVED CHARACTERS.
PART I - Analyze the Cladogram
Examine the sample cladogram, each letter on the diagram points to a derived character, or something different (or newer) than what was seen in previous groups. Match the letter to its character. Note: this cladogram was created for simplicity and understanding, it does not represent the established phylogeny for insects and their relatives.

HINT: It might help to start with “G” and work towards “A”.


1. ______ Protective Spikes
2. ______ Has Vision
3. ______ Equal Symmetry
4. ______ Body covered in Spikes
5. ______ Red Pigment
6. ______ Circular
7. ______ Teeth

PART II - Create Your Own Cladogram
To make a cladogram, you must first look at the animals you are studying and establish characteristics that they share and ones that are unique to each group. Based on the chart below, create a cladogram like the one pictured above.
8. Drag the pictures to the correct places on the Cladogram. Be sure you fill in the text boxes with the characteristic that appears at that time in the cladogram.

Cells
Backbone
Legs
Hair
Opposable Thumbs
Slug
X




Tiger
X
X
X
X

Frog
X
X
X


Human
X
X
X
X
X
Catfish
X
X




DRAWING OF YOUR CLADOGRAM

Part III- Cladogram Analysis Practice
Use the cladogram below to answer questions 14-21.

14. After which animals did mammary glands develop? ____
15. What animal does not have jaws? ____
16. Which animals have lungs? ____
17. What is the main difference in a Salamander and a Lizard? ____
18. Name another animal that would come before the hagfish: ____
19. Mouse and Chimp come after the “Feathers” Characteristic on the cladogram. Why don’t they have feathers? ____
20. Is the Perch more closely related to the Lizard or Hagfish? ____
21. If we were to place an animal between the Lizard and the Pigeon, what characteristics MUST that animal have? ____
What characteristics must it NOT have? ____

The next set of questions below are examples of a questions you might see on the Biology End of Course Exam in April.
22. The table shows information about several traits displayed by different groups of plants. The following item has 2 parts. First answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: Select the 2 most derived groups of plants that share the most recent common ancestor. There may be more than one correct answer. Put an ‘X’ in the blank next to your answer(s).

Part A Answer:
____ algae
_____ ferns
_____ gingko
_____ liverworts
_____ spruce
_____ wheat

Part B: Select each trait shared among the most recent common anscestor that you identified in Part A and its descendant groups.
There may be more than one correct answer. Put an ‘X’ next to your answers:
_____ cones
_____ cuticles
_____ flowers
_____ needles
_____ seeds
_____ stomata

23. The table compares structures found in several groups of photosynthetic organisms. The presence of a structure is symbolized by a (+) symbol, while the absence of a structure is symbolized by a (-) symbol.
Using the data in the table, determine where on the cladogram some for the structures evolved.
What is the correct order of characteristics, beginning with the most primitive characteristic? You do not need to use all the characteristics.
chloroplast, flowers, seeds, vascular tissue
cuticle, vascular tissue, seeds, flowers
seeds, vascular tissue, chloroplast, chloroplast
vascular tissue, chloroplast, cuticle, flowers, seeds

24. The evolutionary relationships among 4 animals and 4 animal traits are shown in the cladogram.

Put an “X” in the yellow boxes below to identify which trait(s) each animal possesses.

Bullfrog
Chimpanzee
Kangaroo
Shark
Placenta

Vertebrae

Mammary glands

Two pairs of limbs

Part 3: Carrying Capacity- answer the following questions
25. Why do mice in the wild NOT reproduce at the rate shown in this graph? Your answer ____

26. What does the s-shaped line in this graph indicate? Your answer: _____

27. What four factors affect the population growth?
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________

28. Give two or more examples of density-independent factors and density-dependent factors that could affect populations.

Density Independent Factor #1: _______________________________________
Density Independent Factor #2: _______________________________________
Density Dependent Factor #1: _______________________________________
Density Dependent Factor #2: _______________________________________

29. About 200 years ago, the population of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) on islands near Antarctica was estimated between 160,000 and 180,000 individual seals. When explorers discovered the islands, they began intensive hunting of the seals for their fur, and stopped only when there were no more seals left to hunt. Around 50 years ago, scientists discovered and protected a small colony of 25 seals, and began recording the size of the population over time. Their data are shown in the graph below.

Enter a number into the table to identify the year at which the fur seal population begins to recover from intensive hunting.
B. Enter a number into the table to identify the new carrying capacity of the ecosystem for the Antarctic fur seals.
Data Collected
Number
Year population begins recovery
Your answer:
New carrying capacity
Your answer:

What are some issues associated with a small population size? (2-3 sentences)

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

14. Mice and Chimp

15. Shark
16. Cow, Dog, Monkey, Pigeon
17. Salamander has four legs, while a Lizard has two pairs of limbs
18. Fish
19. Mouse and Chimp do not have feathers because they are mammals, not birds
20. Perch is more closely related to the Hagfish
21. An animal between the Lizard and the Pigeon must have lungs and the ability to lay eggs. It must not have feathers.
22. Part A Answer: ferns, wheat
Part B Answer: seeds, flowers
23. The correct order of characteristics is: vascular tissue, chloroplast, cuticle, flowers, seeds
24. Bullfrog: vertebrae, mammary glands, two pairs of limbs
Chimpanzee: vertebrae, mammary glands
Kangaroo: vertebrae, mammary glands, two pairs of limbs
Shark: vertebrae
25. Mice in the wild do not reproduce at the rate shown in the graph because they are affected by limiting factors such as predation, competition for resources, and disease that help regulate their population size.
26. The S-shaped line in the graph indicates the population growth of the mice following a logistic growth pattern. Initially, the population grows slowly, then it increases rapidly, and finally levels off as it reaches the carrying capacity of the environment.
27. The four factors that affect population growth are birth rate, death rate, immigration, and emigration.
28. Density Independent Factor #1: Natural disasters (e.g. hurricanes, wildfires)
Density Independent Factor #2: Climate change
Density Dependent Factor #1: Competition for food and resources
Density Dependent Factor #2: Disease and parasites
29. Year population begins recovery: 1970
New carrying capacity: 250
Some issues associated with a small population size include reduced genetic variation, increased vulnerability to genetic disorders and diseases, and a higher risk of extinction due to random events or environmental changes.