Reading and Making a
Cladogram
Cladogram – What is it?
• An evolutionary family tree
• Used to be based on physical appearance
• Now based on similar DNA sequences, proteins, or
traits
Cladograms show…
1. Probable relationships
2. Probable sequence of origins
3. Shared derived characters
Introduction
• Here are the traits of transportation and how they
have developed over time. Airplane
Bike
Motorcycle
Car
Foot
Motor
Wings
Passengers
enclosed
Wheels
Put the following modes of transportation in the cladogram
where they belong based on their structure.
Car, Airplane, Bike, Motorcycle, Walking by Foot
Making a Cladogram
1. 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.
2. For the animals on the table, indicate whether the
characteristic is present or not.
3. Based on that chart, create a cladogram.
Cells
Slug
Catfish
Frog
Tiger
Human
Backbone
Legs
Hair
Opposable
Thumbs
Cells
Backbone
Slug
x
Catfish
x
Frog
x
Tiger
x
Human
x
Legs
Hair
Opposable
Thumbs
Cells
Backbone
Slug
x
Catfish
x
x
Frog
x
x
Tiger
x
x
Human
x
x
Legs
Hair
Opposable
Thumbs
Cells
Backbone
Legs
Hair
Slug
x
Catfish
x
x
Frog
x
x
x
Tiger
x
x
x
Human
x
x
x
Opposable
Thumbs
Cells
Backbone
Legs
Hair
Opposable
Thumbs
Slug
x
Catfish
x
x
Frog
x
x
x
Tiger
x
x
x
x
Human
x
x
x
x
Cells
Backbone
Legs
Hair
Opposable
Thumbs
Slug
x
Catfish
x
x
Frog
x
x
x
Tiger
x
x
x
x
Human
x
x
x
x
x
Make Your Cladogram
Human
Tiger
Frog
T
r
a
i
t
s
Catfish
Slug
Hair
Legs
Backbone
Cells
Time
Opposable
Thumbs