Life on Earth Worksheet Essay

Taxa to explore Elephants.1. Review terms (write definitions for these terms)ExtantSpecies, families, or groups still in existenceExtinctSpecies, families, or groups no longer in existence, end or died out GenotypeGenetic make-up of an organismPhenotypePhysical attributes of an organism, observable or measurable traits SynapomorphySh bed mark that be inherited from most recent common ancestorBackground in that respect are three extant species of elephant Elaphas maximus (Asian elephants), Loxodonta africana (African elephants), and Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephants). Their systematic hierarchy is as followsKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass class MammaliaOrder ProboscideaFamily ElephantidaeGenus ElaphasSpecies maximusKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder ProboscideaFamily ElephantidaeGenus LoxodontaSpecies africanaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder ProboscideaFamily ElephantidaeGenus LoxodontaSpecies cyclotis2. Collect an reach of each species. You will submit these as a part of your assignment. (see full assignment instructions)3. Looking at these pictures, can you think of any EXTINCT animal(prenominal) or animals that might be a close relative of modern elephants? List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you arent quite sure, just give the common name.Mammoth4. Now think about EXTANT taxa. Identify 2 animals that you might expect to be the close LIVING relative to the elephants. List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you arent quite sure, just give the common name. likely Relative APossible Relative B carry HyraxManatees5. For the adjacent EXTANT relatives, what characteristic(s) of that animal or its habitat led you choose it as probable closest relative? (consider geographic location, size, anatomy, behavior etc). Be specific.Characteristics of Animal ACharacteristics of Animal B-found across Africa and the Middle East-typic tout ensembley live in groups-has a prominent pair of long, pointed tusk-like speeding incisors -In males, the testes are permanently abdominal-thick, wrinkled skin-Females have two teats, one under each tail fin-teeth growing at the rear are continuously replaced throughout lifeNow to the science Follow the link below to read about several(prenominal) of the extinct relatives of elephantshttp//palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/firstelephants.html6. How were the phenotypes of ancient proboscideans varied from those of extant elephants?The ancient proboscideans differ from those of extant elephants because they have multiple pairs of molars and premolars, they do not possess tusks, and they retain canines on the upper jaw.7. Based on the information in the web-site, where did the early proboscideans evolve? The early proboscideans evolved from Africa.More derived proboscideans (not ancient, but not extant either) also had a very differe nt geographic distribution than elephants todayhttp//palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/extinct_taxa.html http//palaeo.gly.bris.ac.uk/Palaeofiles/Elephants/mammoths.html8. Which localities seem most surprising and why?North and South America because these locations were once abundant with these animals, such as mastodons, fleck having most of the animals originate fromthe other side of the world.9. Identify 4 synapomorphies that are shared mingled with ALL of these extinct and extant taxa.1.Tusks2.Incisors and molar teeth3. carcass4.Four column-like legsMolecular phylogenyIn extant species, relationships can also be reconstructed based on deoxyribonucleic acid Think back to your high hat guesses of the closest EXTANT relatives of the modern elephants.Look at the .pdf named Afrotheria. The phylogeny described in this paper is based on molecular data (similarities in DNA sequences)10. Based on that phylogeny, write in the sister taxon (taxon A) to Proboscidea. Give the fo rmal name.Taxon A or Sirenia Proboscidea11. Write in the taxon (taxon B) that is sister to the clade composed of (Proboscidea + Taxon A). Give formal nameTaxon B orTaxon A Proboscidea Hyracoidea12. consummate an internet oceanrch for these two taxa and find out their common names. What are their common names? Describe each.The common name for Sirenia is ocean Cow. Sea cows are fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals that appear fat. They have forelimbs used for steering and a tail used for paddling. The common name for Hyracoidea are hyraxes. Hyraxes are well-furred animals with short tails and have poor internal temperature regulation.What was your thought/reaction upon discovering what these creatures are? My thought reaction was how can animals that look nothing same be similar to an elephant if they visually look different.Believe it or not, there are morphological (phenotypic) similarities as well as dietary and behavioral similarities between all of these taxa. BEFORE molecular d ata was available, scientists already suspected that these groups were closely related. The DNA evidence only helped to confirm the relationships. Well do more on that in a moment.13. Search the web to find at least two non-molecular synapomorphies between each of your modern taxa and the elephants (be specific)Animal 1 nameRock HyraxesRock Hyraxes are furry and have the soles of the feet with large, soft pads that are kept moist. Manatees have paddle like flippers and a snout.Animal 2 nameManatees14. Which of the features you listed are more likely to survive in the fossil record? Explain why.Most likely to survive in the fossil record is the snout because it consists of the bone up of the jaw which are very good for becoming fossils.15. Which are less likely? Explain why.Less likely are the fur, soft pads at the feet, and the paddle-like flippers because all are more prone to decay rapidly because of being soft structures. The flippers are also more prone to not preserving quickl y therefore eaten or broken down by aerobic microbes.Now for moleculesTo see the actual molecular data used to create the phylogeny you saw, select the .pdf named mammoth and sea cow.16. Go to page 409. Dots mean the base pair (A, C, T or G) is the same as is listed in the taxon thats at the take place (this saves ink). Now compare the sequences for the African elephant and the Asian elephant in just the top row of page 409.How many molecular differences do you see in the sequence shown?There are 8 molecular difference in the sequence.How many molecular differences do you count between the African elephant and the hyrax?There are 11 molecular differences between the African elephant and the hyrax.17. Based on anatomy alone (without the molecular evidence), would you have guessed that the animals in photos above represented the closest living relatives of elephants? Why or why not?Honestly, based on the anatomy alone, I would not have guessed that the animals represent close relativ es of the elephants because of the physical anatomical reference characteristic they have. Most animals can have similar anatomy with slight differences that contribute to their survival in an environment. Initially, I thought that the animals had similar characteristics only because of raw(a) selection and adaptation of their environment not becauseof their common ancestor. This shows how molecular evidence can really help in seeing what animals belong in what lineages.