BIOL 8450 Understanding Animal Biology
Classification and Evolution Assignment
NAME:___________________________
DUE: February 3, 2021, 11:59PM EST
Written Assignment
Point value: 25 pts
Directions: You are asked to answer the following questions. Answer questions within this
document and submit to Canvas in this assignment folder by the due date. You may print and
handwrite answers, or enter in word processor. For full credit, the file must be uploaded as a pdf
format file (you may scan in handwritten papers). Also for full credit, the file must be named
according to: “SURNAME, FIRSTNAME_CEA.pdf”.
1. You are given three cladograms that represent possible evolutionary relationships for 3 taxa
identified as 1, 2 and 3. Consider three characters, the number of toes on the front foot, skin
covering and tail: with the ancestral character-state having 5 toes, scaly skin and a tail. If each
taxon had the following characters:
Taxon
1
2
3
Characters
5 toes
4 toes
5 toes
scales
scales
no scales
no tail
no tail
tail
Which cladogram represents the most parsimonious phylogeny? ______ (1 pt)
A
B
C
Briefly state WHY? (2 pts)
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BIOL 8450 Understanding Animal Biology
Classification and Evolution Assignment
2. As a novice phylogenetic systematist, you were given the task of constructing a phylogenetic
tree with the following information on feathered dinosaurs. Under investigation by this exercise are
the “lizard-hipped”, or saurischian dinosaurs. The dinosaurs being used are the Eoraptor,
Sinosauropteryx, Caudipteryx, Dromaeosauridae and Confuciusornis. Skeletal elements,
especially those associated with the appendicular skeleton, will be analyzed. It was found, upon
exploration of the pelvic region that all the dinosaurs have a large pubic boot except for the
Eoraptor. Further examination of the pelvic region yielded some interesting information in that only
the Dromaeosauridae and Confuciusornis have a reversed pubic bone. Interestingly, all the
dinosaurs except for Eoraptor and Sinosauropteryx have a strong transition point in the tail, i.e., a
stiff tail. Exploration of the thoracic region found that only Confuciusornis has a keeled sternum. It
was noted that all saurischian dinosaurs (these five, and others) had “grasping” hands.
a. From this data, what morphological characters could you use to construct a phylogenetic
tree; list them. (2.5 pts)
b. Fill in the table listing the morphological characters for each dinosaur. (2.5 pts)

----------------Characters 
DINOSAURS
Character 1
Character 2
Character 3
Character 4
Character 5
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BIOL 8450 Understanding Animal Biology
Classification and Evolution Assignment
c. Who would you use as the outgroup for this analysis? Briefly why? (2 pts)
d. Construct the most parsimonious cladogram. (5 pts)
e. Who is most closely related to the Confuciusornis? Briefly why? (2 pts)
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BIOL 8450 Understanding Animal Biology
Classification and Evolution Assignment
3. Utilizing the following hypothetical cladogram of Ungulates, answer the following questions.
Land Ungulate
Arctic Unicorn
Marsh Unicorn Flying Horse
coloration-white
coloration-grey
wings
Terrestrial Horse
grazing
frontal horn
purple eyes
hoofed quadriped with turquoise eyes
a. Choose from these following words to finish the sentences:
pleisiomorphic, synapomorphic, symplesiomorphic, apomorphic
If just looking at Arctic Unicorns and Marsh Unicorns, body coloration is a(n)
_____________________ character since it can be used to distinguish members of these
two taxa. (0.5 pts)
The morphological character, hoofed quadriped, is a(n) ______________________ trait
because it is shared by members of all five taxa. (0.5 pts)
Frontal horns are a(n) ____________________ trait because it is present in Arctic and
Marsh Unicorns and can be used to distinguish them from Flying Horse and Terrestrial
Horse. (0.5 pts)
b. Draw a box around a clade, label. (0.5 pts)
c. Denote the nodes present on this cladogram-circle. (1 pt)
d. State a sister group. (1 pt)
e. To distinguish a particular clade of Ungulates within the larger clade that corresponds to
Superorder Ungulata, would hoofs be a useful character? Why or why not? ( 4 pts)
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