Answer the following questions concisely and accurately.Questions refer to the McGowen et al. 2014 paper
Title of google article:
Molecular evolution tracks macroevolutionary transitions inCetacea
1. Among systems for study of macro evolutionary change (e.g.,major change in anatomy, moving from water to land or vice versa,acquisition of flight, etc.), the cetaceans have become the 'posterchild'. Explain why cetaceans are a better system in which to studyevolutionary transitions than each of the following vertebrategroups:
turtles:
manatees:
bats:
pterosaurs (ancient winged reptiles):
2. What is myoglobin? Explain why increased diving abilityshould be correlated with specific types of replacement mutationsof the gene encoding the protein myoglobin. What specific kinds ofamino acid replacements are favored by positive selection whenincreased diving ability is favored? Explain how the maximum divecapability of an extinct whale species can beestimated.
3. What is the general function of the protein prestin? Explainwhy a phylogenetic tree reconstructed using the characters ofprestin amino acid sequences showed at first that the whales form asubgroup within the bats!
4. Relative to terrestrial mammals, what changes occurred togive deep diving cetaceans 'rod monochromacy'? What is theadvantage of rod monochromacy? Why does it make sense that
rhodopsins of cetaceans are shifted from red (low energy) toblue (high energy) sensitivity?
5. What is the function of the protein ameloblastin?Characterize the specific nucleotide sequence and functionaldifferences in a meloblastin genes between baleen whales versusother mammals.
6. What are the two main general categories of convergentevolution described in cetaceans and other vertebrates? Based onthese studies why is it important to use neutral or nearly neutralcharacters in phylogenetic analyses whenever possible?
(to the most EASY and understandable person who answers myquestions I will be awarding an extra 1000 points if you just postyour name or say hey its me on the next question i will be postingshortly after this one)
Answer the following questions concisely and accurately.Questions refer to the McGowen et al. 2014 paper
Title of google article:
Molecular evolution tracks macroevolutionary transitions inCetacea
1. Among systems for study of macro evolutionary change (e.g.,major change in anatomy, moving from water to land or vice versa,acquisition of flight, etc.), the cetaceans have become the 'posterchild'. Explain why cetaceans are a better system in which to studyevolutionary transitions than each of the following vertebrategroups:
turtles:
manatees:
bats:
pterosaurs (ancient winged reptiles):
2. What is myoglobin? Explain why increased diving abilityshould be correlated with specific types of replacement mutationsof the gene encoding the protein myoglobin. What specific kinds ofamino acid replacements are favored by positive selection whenincreased diving ability is favored? Explain how the maximum divecapability of an extinct whale species can beestimated.
3. What is the general function of the protein prestin? Explainwhy a phylogenetic tree reconstructed using the characters ofprestin amino acid sequences showed at first that the whales form asubgroup within the bats!
4. Relative to terrestrial mammals, what changes occurred togive deep diving cetaceans 'rod monochromacy'? What is theadvantage of rod monochromacy? Why does it make sense that
rhodopsins of cetaceans are shifted from red (low energy) toblue (high energy) sensitivity?
5. What is the function of the protein ameloblastin?Characterize the specific nucleotide sequence and functionaldifferences in a meloblastin genes between baleen whales versusother mammals.
6. What are the two main general categories of convergentevolution described in cetaceans and other vertebrates? Based onthese studies why is it important to use neutral or nearly neutralcharacters in phylogenetic analyses whenever possible?
(to the most EASY and understandable person who answers myquestions I will be awarding an extra 1000 points if you just postyour name or say hey its me on the next question i will be postingshortly after this one)
