The 6.01 lesson taught you about different systems used to classify living things. You will practice classifying some birds. (Blue jay, robin, cardinal, canary, pelican)
Research online to fill in the blank (RED) boxes. Some have been filled in for you to guide you along the way. You don’t have to use this chart. You can make your own if you would like.
Watch this short video about making a cladogram: http://ccl.northwestern.edu/simevolution/obonu/cladograms/Open-This-File.swf
Create your cladogram below. I’ve listed the birds in boxes and given you some lines. You will need to arrange the boxes and lines how you best feel they should go (you may delete any extra lines you don’t need). Remember, there is NO WRONG WAY to make a cladogram. HOWEVER, you must be able to explain why you’ve grouped them in such a way. For example, you might say, “Well, I put the pelican further away from the other birds because it is the only bird that doesn’t perch.”
Here’s a reminder of how a cladogram can look:
Conclusion Questions:
#1 Describe the physical traits your birds had in common with one another in your taxonomy chart. Break down your descriptions by taxa (kingdom, phylum, class, order…).
Example: All animals in the class Reptilia breathe air, lay shelled eggs, and have skin covered in scales.
#2 Explain the positions of each species in your cladogram. Why did you place each of your animals in those positions?
Example: I started with the turtle and placed it furthest away from the other reptiles because it has a shell.
#3 Which was more difficult to make, the taxonomy chart or the cladogram? Explain your answer.