The evolutionary biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky famously stated that ?nothing makes sense in biology except in the light of evolution? (Dobzhansky 1973). Because phylogenies represent evolutionary relationships, they are critical for biology students to understand; however, phylogenetics can be a dry and difficult subject, and its applicability to everyday life can be unclear. The laboratory activity presented here introduces students to the foundations of phylogenetics, sends them outdoors to document local species, and asks them to build, correct, and map character state changes onto trees of their observed organisms. This activity empowers students to actively engage with phylogenetics and conceptualize its relevance to the world around them.
Keywords: phylogenetics, biodiversity, parsimony
University of California, San Diego (2023)
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