BIO 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 16: Phylogenetics, Hoatzin, Statistical Hypothesis Testing
28 Mar 2017
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Is thinking about current function the best way to approach this question: birds are a taxon, represented by a branch on the tree of life, birds have two types of feathers, wings, and most are capable of flight. Character state changes: (1) limbs were lost in a lineage of lizards; there should be some examples of this transition between limbs and no limbs in the fossil record. (2) fossil lizards should appear earlier than fossil snakes. Fossil snake with legs and pelvis from the cretaceous (145-65 million years ago) Hypothesis testing in phylogenetics: test whether phylogeny is supported or refuted by an independent data source (for example, a. New data matrix consisting of new genes, morphologies, behavior, etc: test whether phylogeny aligns with order of appearance in the fossil record (more on this later ). Phylogeny: terms and concepts: taxa, common ancestors, branching or splitting order, mrcas (most recent common ancestors, rotating branches (different shapes same relationships)
