Evolutionary Relationships

• What three types of sequence data are used to investigate evolutionary relationships?

  DNA, mRNA, and amino acids.
• Why do we use genome sequencing and not physical features to determine evolutionary relationships?

  As using physical features has many limitations and can often lead to wrong classification of species.
• What can sequencing technology do?

  Determine the order of DNA bases, mRNA bases and amino acids within an organisms genome.
• Why is sequencing technology useful?

  For comparison with an extinct species or distinguishing between physically similar species.
• What does a more similar sequence between organisms mean when analysing sequence data?

  The more closely related the species are.
• What does it mean if organisms have closely similar sequences?

  They have been separated into separate species more recently than less closely similar organisms.
• What happens to species that have been separated for a long time?

  They have a greater amount of time to develop mutations and changes to their DNA, mRNA, and amino acid sequence.
• What can be created with sequence analysis and comparison?


  Family trees.