Molecular Taxonomy and Clocks

Question 1

Molecular Taxonomy

Answer 1

Uses similarities and differences in gene sequences to classify organisms

Question 2

Genomes

Answer 2

Sequenced and compared for similarity, the more they align, the more related they are and vice versa

Question 3

Maximum Parsimony

Answer 3

Assumes that tree that has fewest evolutionary events is most likely the ancestral

Question 4

Molecular Clocks

Answer 4

Used to date origin of species, based on observation that random mutations accumulate in genes at fairly constant rates

Question 5

With rate of 5 mutations per million years, if there are 25 mutations in a gene when 2 species are compared, when did they diverge?

Answer 5

5 mya

Question 6

Mito DNA

Answer 6

Evolution rate is 2% sequence divergence per million years

Question 7

Micro satellite DNA

Answer 7

Short segments of repeats of mainly Cs and As, occurs mostly in non-coding DNA, has very hi rate of change and is used to date more recent events

Question 8

rRNA

Answer 8

Rate of 1% sequence divergence per 50 million years

Question 9

Examples of where micro satellite DNA are used

Answer 9

Forensics, ancestries, origin of races, relatedness of individuals