Remainder of a fossil mammal have been found on your campus. If you adopt a clad

Question

Remainder of a fossil mammal have been found on your campus. If you adopt a cladistic approach, how would you determine (a) that it’s a mammal rather than some other kind of vertebrate ( discuss specific characters if possesses), (b) what kind of mammal it is ( again; discuss specific characteristics) and (c) how it might be related to one or more living mammals. Remainder of a fossil mammal have been found on your campus. If you adopt a cladistic approach, how would you determine (a) that it’s a mammal rather than some other kind of vertebrate ( discuss specific characters if possesses), (b) what kind of mammal it is ( again; discuss specific characteristics) and (c) how it might be related to one or more living mammals.

Explanation / Answer

The cladistic approach involves the following steps:

1.The taxa to be classified are chosen.

2. The characteristics to provide evidence for relationship are chosen.

3. The characteristics are analyzed to reconstruct the relationship among the taxa (usually in the form of a tree).

4. The tree is translated into a formal classification system so that it can be communicated and used by other scientists.

5. The tree is used to test various hypotheses about the process of evolution in the group.

a) The specific characters of mammals that distinguishes them from other vertebrates are

i) Feed young ones with milk produced by the females

ii) Possess a four chambered heart and a body covered with hair

iii) Only group of animals with a diaphragm

b) Different classes of mammals with their specific characters

i) Prototheria- egg laying mammals

ii) Metatheria- or pouched mammals

iii) Eutheria- viviparous mammals i.e. give birth to live young ones that are nourished before birth through a placenta in the mothers uterus. Majority of the mammals belong to this class.

c) question c is not clear

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse R
• Subjects

---