Creating Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic Tree

A diagram showing evolutionary relationships among species.

Common Ancestor

An ancestor shared by two or more species.

SNP

Single Nucleotide Polymorphism; one base pair change.

Indel

Insertion or deletion of DNA base pairs.

Aligning DNA

Matching sequences for comparison of nucleotides.

Branch Point

Node representing a common ancestor in a tree.

Root

Base of a phylogenetic tree indicating origin.

Unrooted Tree

Tree showing relationships without a common ancestor.

Evolutionary Relationships

Connections between species based on shared traits.

DNA Sequence Comparison

Analyzing sequences for similarities to deduce relationships.

Biotechnology Impact

Improved efficiency and cost in DNA analysis.

Anatomical Features

Physical traits used to assess species relationships.

Mutations

Changes in DNA sequences affecting genetic variation.

Percentage Differences

Metric for determining similarity between DNA sequences.

Gaps in Alignment

Indicate presence of indels in DNA sequences.

Phylogenetic Analysis

Study of evolutionary relationships using DNA data.

Gene Sequences

DNA segments analyzed to construct phylogenetic trees.

Evolutionary History

Chronological development of species over time.

Homologous Structures

Anatomical features shared due to common ancestry.

Embryology

Study of embryo development to infer evolutionary links.

Rotation of Trees

Different arrangements of trees without changing relationships.

Distantly Related Organisms

Species with less similarity in DNA sequences.

Closely Related Organisms

Species with more similarity in DNA sequences.

DNA Evidence

Genetic data supporting biological relationships among species.

Anatomical Comparisons

Assessing physical traits to determine evolutionary links.

Evolutionary Biology

Study of the processes that drive evolution.

Genetic Variation

Differences in DNA among individuals of a species.