Concept explainers
According to the evolutionary tree in Figure 4.37, which is more closely related to rodents: shrews and moles, or primates? Explain how the tree shows this.
Figure 4.37 Phylogeny of the mammals From Murphy et al. (2001).
To determine: Whether shrews, moles, or primates are more closely related to rodents in the figure.
Introduction: Evolutionary tree, also known as phylogenetic tree, includes a branching diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships present among various species. An evolutionary tree helps to determine the similarities and differences present between various organisms.
Explanation of Solution
Pictorial representation: Fig.1 represents the evolutionary tree of mammals.
Fig.1: Phylogeny of mammals.
From the given phylogenetic tree, it is evident that primates are more closely related to each other than other organisms.
To determine: The reason why primates are more closely related to rodents.
Explanation of Solution
From the phylogenetic tree, the node descending between primates and rodents are more recent than any other groups. They both share a more recent common ancestor than primates and shrews or moles. Therefore, primates and rodents are more closely related to each other.
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