Pattern and Process in Evolution
2) Genetics and phylogeny reconstruction
Location: Hall of Ocean Life, 1st. Floor.
Turn to the right as you walk in and go to the wall display showing the invertebrate evolutionary tree.
- Using the tree and the interactive displays, describe one example where recent investigation of genetic evidence has changed our understanding of phylogeny relationship among invertebrate phyla.
- Using the primary literature, find a second example of a surprising phylogeny relationship that would have remained undiscovered without the modern Synthesis.
3) Patterns of evolution
Location: Mil stein Hall of Advanced Mammals, 4th. Floor.
Find the display on horse evolution. One display shows how G. G. Simpson envisioned horse evolution. A second shows a revised hypothesized evolutionary pattern.
- Contrast these two phylogeny. How are they similar and how do they differ? What insights have occurred since Simpsons work to lead us to the current view?
- Identify points on these phylogeny where evolution appears to happen gradually, and points where it appears to happen rapidly. Is one pattern more predominant than another? If so, which and why? If not, why not? What could cause this?