The realm of evolution

In Chapter 8, 11 and 12 we enter the realm of evolution, starting with the transfer of genetic information from one organisms to their offspring, then looking into mechanisms and details of the change in populations, and finally touching on evolutionary relationships between organisms.  Respond to the following two prompts relating to these three chapters:

• In Chapter 8, we learn about Mendel and his experiments that led to the Laws of Inheritance.  After reading this chapter, summarize the following in your own words:
  • Difference between phenotype and genotype and how they are related.
  • How does a heterozygous organisms differ from a homozygous organism in terms of the alleles they contribute to the population?
  • Provide your best explanation for the law of segregation in 1-2 sentences.
• Understanding evolutionary relationships is an important element to understanding why organisms are placed in similar groups.  In this step, you will be searching for a phylogenetic tree online, and making some observations related to the characteristics that group those organisms. You should use Chapter 12.1 as a guide.  Here are the steps to follow for this section:
  • Pick a group of organisms that you would like to find a phylogenetic tree for from the following list: Plants, animals, vertebrates or invertebrates
  • In the google search bar, search for the following “plants (or whichever you pick), phylogenetic tree).
  • Click on “Images” below the Google search bar. You should see several trees that pop up.  Find one that contains some characters (physical descriptions) so you can make some conclusions regarding the organisms.
  • Provide the following in your response:
    • A copy of the phylogenetic tree you found.
    • Write a summary of the characters or traits that are responsible for grouping organisms.  Include an assessment of which organisms in the group are more closely related, as well as anything interesting or odd you found about the evolutionary relationships of the organisms.
• Link to the book:  https://openstax.org/details/concepts-biology