BIOL 121 Sec 122 – Winter 2018 Term 1

WEEK 8: PRE-READING ASSIGNMENT

Chapter 26: Speciation & Chapter 27: Phylogenies and the History of Life

Recommended approach to pre-readings:

1. Briefly look over the figures/tables and passages listed under “Focus on this material”
(Note: It is recommended that you read the figures/passages in the order indicated):

2. Consider: How familiar are you with this material?

9 This material is pretty much all review for me:
4 Great! To confirm that you do understand everything, check the corresponding
“Questions to think about” column
9 Found something you’re not sure you understand? Check out the material
in the “In-depth reading” column

OR
9 This material is pretty confusing for me:
4 No problem. Check out the material in the “In-depth reading” column
9 Still confused? Try looking it up in the back of the textbook, making a post
about it on Piazza, or looking it up online!

3. Review the chapter “Summary of Key Concepts” (p 518–519)

§ If you are unsure of your understanding of any of these concepts, refer back to the text.

4. …Want more practice?

§ Try out the end of chapter questions (p 519–520)

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 TARGETED PRE-READINGS

Focus on this material:

Figures, tables, or passages: Questions to think about: In-depth reading (optional):

p 506 Table 26.2 § Consider the advantages and disadvantages outlined in p 503– 26.1 How Are Species
“Species Concepts” this table. For each species concept in turn, think about 506 Defined and Identified?
the following questions: [Entire section]
§ Assuming sufficient information is available, what
sorts of organisms are eligible candidates for this
species concept? Can you think of any organisms for
which it wouldn’t make sense to use this species
concept?
§ Think of an organism for which it would make sense
to use this species concept. What sort of
information/data would you require in order to
apply this species concept to this organism?
§ The table identifies several differences between the four
species concepts. Can you think of any similarities in what
these species concepts are trying to accomplish?
§ One way of defining a species is “an evolutionarily
independent group.” Remember that evolution on a
genetic scale is changes in population allele
frequencies between generations. What do you think
is meant by the term “evolutionarily independent”?
How do each of the species concepts attempt to
address the issue of whether or not two organisms
are evolutionarily independent from one another?
p 504 Table 26.1 § Which of the species concepts is concerned with the idea p 504 The Biological Species
“Mechanisms of of reproductive isolation? Concept
Reproductive Isolation” § Notice that the different mechanisms of reproductive [Entire section]
isolation are listed in a particular order. What might be the
rationale for presenting them in this order?
p 505 Figure 26.2 § One of the strengths of the phylogenetic species concept is p 505 The Phylogenetic Species
“The Phylogenetic that it can be applied to both sexually reproducing and Concept
Species Concept Is Based asexually reproducing organisms (assuming that [Entire section]
on Monophyletic information about the relative relatedness of different
Groups.” groups of organisms is available).
§ In the case of sexually reproducing organisms, in
what way does an evolutionarily independent
population represent a monophyletic group?
§ In the case of asexually reproducing organisms: in
what way does an evolutionary independent
population represent a monophyletic group?
§ What does the phylogenetic species concept define a
phylogenetic species as “the smallest possible
monophyletic group”?
§ Consider, would it be accurate to call a subgroup of
individuals within a population a monophyletic
group?
p 508 Figure 26.4 § Diagram (a) and (b) represent two different scenarios in p 508– 26.2 Isolation and
“Allopatric Speciation which two populations are diverging from one another to 509 Divergence in Allopatry
Begins via Dispersal or the point of speciation. [Entire section]
Vicariance.” § Consider step 2 of both diagrams. What do you think
might happen if, instead of the two populations
remaining separated, gene flow occurred between
them? How might this influence the outcome shown
in step 3?

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p 510 Figure 26.2 § To the left of the figure are the words “How can this be?” p 509– 26.3 Isolation and
“Sympatric Speciation The implied meaning is this: Given the fact that the green 510 Divergence in Sympatry
Has Long Perplexed and grey individuals are interacting with one another in “When populations or
Researchers.” the same habitat, we would expect there to be gene flow species live in the same
between them (i.e., green and grey individuals should be geographic area …
interbreeding). However, the fact that green and grey throughout the course of
individuals are diverging from one another genetically insect evolution.”
indicates that there is no gene flow between the two
types. How is it possible that there is no gene flow
between green and grey, even though they belong to the
same population?
§ Can you come up with any possible reasons for why
green and grey individuals are not interbreeding,
even though they belong to the same population?
p 513 Table 26.3 § Did any of the possible reasons you came up with match
“Mechanisms of the mechanisms of sympatric speciation presented in this
Sympatric Speciation.” table?

p 511 Figure 26.7 § What sort of event could have lead to the creation of the p 510– How Can Polyploidy Lead
“Polyploidy Can Lead to tetraploid parent in the first place? 513 to Speciation?
Reproductive Isolation.” § Assume that the event mentioned above occurred only [Entire section]
once in the population (which means that there is only one
tetraploid parent in the entire population).
§ Would you consider this tetraploid individual to
represent a new species? Hint: Think about the
definition of a species.
p 512 Figure 26.8 § Which of the cells in this diagram represents tetraploid
“Allopolyploids Can Form individual (and what event lead to the creation of this
New Species.” tetraploid individual)?
§ Assume that the event mentioned above occurred only
once in the population (which means that there is only one
tetraploid parent in the entire population).
§ Same question as above: Would you consider this
tetraploid individual to represent a new species?
p 518 Table 26.4 § When two populations of the same species resume p 513– 26.4 What Happens
“Possible Outcomes of interacting with one another (after having been separated 518 When Isolated
Secondary Contact for a period of time), we refer to that interaction as Populations Come into
between Populations” “secondary contact”. Contact?
§ Which of the outcomes in this table could lead to [Entire section]
speciation? Hint: The answer is more than one… but
which ones?
p B:4 Figure B3.1 § Can you draw your own phylogenetic tree, labeling each of p B:4 BIOLSKILLS 3:
“Phylogenetic Trees the following? READING A
Have Roots, Branches, § Root PHYLOGENETIC TREE
Nodes, and Tips.” § Branches [Entire section]
§ Nodes
§ Tips
p B:5 Figure B3.2 § Based on this phylogenetic tree, who is more closely
“An Example of a related?
Phylogenetic Tree.” § Paranthropus robustus and Homo sapiens
or
§ Australopithecus afarensis and Homo sapiens
p B:5 Figure B3.3 § Which tree is the odd one out? Why?
“Alternative Ways of
Drawing the Same Tree.”

p 522 Figure 27.1 § Think back to this previous question: p 522 How Do Researchers
“Synapomorphies § “In the case of asexually reproducing organisms: in Estimate Phylogenies?
Identify Monophyletic what way does an evolutionary independent [Entire section]
Groups.” population represent a monophyletic group?”
§ Synapomorphies are shared, derived traits. How does the

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 idea of using synapomorphies to identify monophyletic
groups relate to the idea that such groups are
evolutionarily independent?
p 523 Figure 27.2 § Homoplasies are analogous traits (in contrast to p 522 How Can Biologists
“Homoplasy: Traits Are homologous traits). (Note: The terms “homoplasy” and Distinguish Homology
Similar but Not Inherited “analogy” are used in subtly different contexts, but for our from Homoplasy?
from a Common purposes we can consider them to be synonymous.) [Entire section]
Ancestor.” § Compare the phylogenetic tree in Figure 27.2 to the one in
Figure 27.1.
§ Why might it be preferable to use DNA sequences
when building phylogenetic trees, rather than
morphological traits?
§ Can you think of any way in which DNA sequences from
different species might be said to represent homoplasies?
(In other words, what would be the DNA-sequence
equivalent of a homoplasy?)
p 524 Figure 27.4 § In this figure, the phylogenetic tree at the top is
“Parsimony Is One considered to be more parsimonious than the one at the
Method for Choosing bottom.
among the Many § Does this mean that the phylogenetic tree shown in
Possible Trees.” Figure 27.4 (b) is incorrect?
§ Why might we think that the phylogenetic tree
shown in Figure 27.4 (a) is more likely to be the
correct one?