Cladogram showing the evolutionary relationships and shared traits among different species.
A cladogram illustrating evolutionary relationships among various species, including lancelet, lamprey, tuna, salamander, turtle, and leopard, with traits such as vertebral column, jaws, amniotic egg, four walking legs, and hair indicated along the branches.
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: SOLUTION: Cladogram worksheet practice key - Studypool
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Show Answer Key & Explanations
Step-by-step solution for: SOLUTION: Cladogram worksheet practice key - Studypool
Let's go through each question and provide a clear explanation based on the cladogram provided in your image. The cladogram shows evolutionary relationships among several vertebrates, with shared derived traits (synapomorphies) indicated along the branches.
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> Answer: Worms and spiders are more closely related. They have more traits in common.
✔ Explanation:
This answer is incorrect based on the cladogram shown. The cladogram does not include worms, spiders, or ants at all — it only includes lancelet, lamprey, tuna, salamander, turtle, and leopard, all of which are vertebrates or chordates.
Since worms, spiders, and ants are invertebrates and not present in this cladogram, we cannot determine their relationships from this diagram.
✘ Conclusion: This question refers to organisms not included in the cladogram. Therefore, the cladogram provided cannot be used to answer this question.
> ✔ Correct approach: To compare worms, spiders, and ants, you would need a cladogram that includes arthropods and annelids (like worms). In reality, spiders and ants are both arthropods, so they are more closely related to each other than either is to worms (which are annelids).
But since this cladogram doesn't show them, this question is invalid for this diagram.
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> Answer: Dragonflies are closely related to the flies. They have more traits in common.
✘ Incorrect reasoning — again, dragonflies and flies are not on the cladogram.
The cladogram only includes vertebrate animals (lancelet, lamprey, tuna, salamander, turtle, leopard). Dragonflies and flies are insects, and thus not part of this cladogram.
So, like Question 1, this question is asking about organisms not represented in the cladogram.
✔ Correct answer (if we were using an insect cladogram):
Dragonflies are most closely related to mayflies and damselflies (all in the order Odonata), not flies. Flies belong to a different insect order (Diptera). So even if the cladogram had insects, the answer "flies" would likely be wrong.
> ✘ Again, this question cannot be answered using the given cladogram.
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This is a hands-on activity. Since we can’t draw here, let’s explain how to do it:
- A June bug is a type of beetle.
- Beetles are insects, which means they:
- Have three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen)
- Have six legs
- Have wings (usually two pairs)
- Are invertebrates (no backbone)
But the current cladogram is only for vertebrates — it starts with lancelet (a chordate), then goes to lamprey, tuna, etc.
So, to add a June bug, you’d need to:
- Add a new branch before the vertebrates (since insects are not vertebrates).
- Place it under insects, possibly near other insects like flies or butterflies.
- Include traits like exoskeleton, jointed legs, antennae, compound eyes, etc.
But since the cladogram is limited to vertebrates, you cannot accurately place a June bug on this tree without expanding the scope.
> ✔ Conclusion: You cannot add a June bug to this cladogram meaningfully because it's designed for vertebrates, and June bugs are invertebrates.
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> Answer: JAWS
✔ Correct!
- Lampreys are jawless fish (agnathans).
- Tuna are bony fish with jaws.
- The trait "jaws" appears after lampreys and before tuna.
- So, jaws are the derived trait that separates lampreys from tuna.
✔️ Explanation: On a cladogram, shared derived traits (synapomorphies) define clades. The presence of jaws indicates a common ancestor with jaws, which tuna share but lampreys do not.
---
> Answer: AMNIOTIC EGG
✔ Correct!
- Salamanders are amphibians — they lay eggs in water (no amniotic egg).
- Turtles are reptiles — they lay amniotic eggs (on land).
- The amniotic egg trait appears after salamanders and before turtles.
- So, amniotic egg is the trait that separates them.
✔️ This reflects the evolutionary transition from amphibians to reptiles.
---
> Answer: TURTLE
✔ Correct!
- Both turtle and leopard share:
- Amniotic egg
- Four walking legs
- Hair (but hair is only in leopard — wait!)
Wait — hair is only present in leopard, not turtle.
Let’s trace the cladogram:
- Leopard shares:
- Vertebral column → with all others
- Jaws → with tuna, salamander, turtle
- Four walking legs → with turtle and salamander
- Amniotic egg → with turtle
- Hair → only leopard
But turtle shares four walking legs and amniotic egg with leopard.
Salamander has four legs but not amniotic egg.
Tuna has jaws but no legs or amniotic egg.
So the closest relative to leopard is turtle, because they share more derived traits (amniotic egg, four walking legs, and vertebral column, jaws).
✔️ Yes, turtle is the most closely related to leopard in this cladogram.
> ✔ Correct answer: TURTLE
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> Answer: THE LANCELET'S DNA. IT'S THE ORGANISMS WITH LEAST TRAITS IN COMMON AND FARTHEST IN THE CLADOGRAM.
✔ Correct!
- The lancelet is the outgroup — it diverged earliest.
- It shares only the most basic trait: vertebral column (or not even that — lancelets have a notochord, not a true vertebral column).
- All other animals on the cladogram evolved after the lancelet split off.
- Because the lancelet is the most distantly related, it has accumulated the most genetic differences over time.
- Therefore, its DNA will differ the most from the leopard’s.
✔️ Yes, this is correct reasoning.
---
| Question | Answer | Correct? | Explanation |
|--------|--------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | Worms and spiders | ✘ | Not on cladogram |
| 2 | Dragonflies and flies | ✘ | Not on cladogram |
| 3 | Add June bug | ✘ | Can't add; not a vertebrate |
| 4 | JAWS | ✔ | Separates lamprey (jawless) from tuna (jawed) |
| 5 | AMNIOTIC EGG | ✔ | Turtle has it, salamander does not |
| 6 | TURTLE | ✔ | Shares most recent common ancestor with leopard |
| 7 | LANCELET | ✔ | Most distant; least shared traits |
---
- Questions 1, 2, and 3 are not answerable using this cladogram because they involve organisms not shown (worms, spiders, ants, dragonflies, flies, June bugs).
- These questions seem to refer to a different cladogram (perhaps one showing invertebrates or insects).
- But questions 4–7 are perfectly valid and correctly answered based on the vertebrate cladogram provided.
If you're supposed to use this specific cladogram, then only questions 4–7 should be answered.
Let me know if you'd like help drawing a new cladogram including insects or invertebrates!
---
1. According to your cladogram, which two species are more closely related: worms and spiders or worms and ants? How do you know?
> Answer: Worms and spiders are more closely related. They have more traits in common.
✔ Explanation:
This answer is incorrect based on the cladogram shown. The cladogram does not include worms, spiders, or ants at all — it only includes lancelet, lamprey, tuna, salamander, turtle, and leopard, all of which are vertebrates or chordates.
Since worms, spiders, and ants are invertebrates and not present in this cladogram, we cannot determine their relationships from this diagram.
✘ Conclusion: This question refers to organisms not included in the cladogram. Therefore, the cladogram provided cannot be used to answer this question.
> ✔ Correct approach: To compare worms, spiders, and ants, you would need a cladogram that includes arthropods and annelids (like worms). In reality, spiders and ants are both arthropods, so they are more closely related to each other than either is to worms (which are annelids).
But since this cladogram doesn't show them, this question is invalid for this diagram.
---
2. According to your cladogram, what species are dragonflies most closely related to? How do you know?
> Answer: Dragonflies are closely related to the flies. They have more traits in common.
✘ Incorrect reasoning — again, dragonflies and flies are not on the cladogram.
The cladogram only includes vertebrate animals (lancelet, lamprey, tuna, salamander, turtle, leopard). Dragonflies and flies are insects, and thus not part of this cladogram.
So, like Question 1, this question is asking about organisms not represented in the cladogram.
✔ Correct answer (if we were using an insect cladogram):
Dragonflies are most closely related to mayflies and damselflies (all in the order Odonata), not flies. Flies belong to a different insect order (Diptera). So even if the cladogram had insects, the answer "flies" would likely be wrong.
> ✘ Again, this question cannot be answered using the given cladogram.
---
3. In a different colored writing utensil, add a June Bug to your cladogram based on its characteristics.
This is a hands-on activity. Since we can’t draw here, let’s explain how to do it:
- A June bug is a type of beetle.
- Beetles are insects, which means they:
- Have three body parts (head, thorax, abdomen)
- Have six legs
- Have wings (usually two pairs)
- Are invertebrates (no backbone)
But the current cladogram is only for vertebrates — it starts with lancelet (a chordate), then goes to lamprey, tuna, etc.
So, to add a June bug, you’d need to:
- Add a new branch before the vertebrates (since insects are not vertebrates).
- Place it under insects, possibly near other insects like flies or butterflies.
- Include traits like exoskeleton, jointed legs, antennae, compound eyes, etc.
But since the cladogram is limited to vertebrates, you cannot accurately place a June bug on this tree without expanding the scope.
> ✔ Conclusion: You cannot add a June bug to this cladogram meaningfully because it's designed for vertebrates, and June bugs are invertebrates.
---
4. What trait separates lampreys from tuna on this cladogram?
> Answer: JAWS
✔ Correct!
- Lampreys are jawless fish (agnathans).
- Tuna are bony fish with jaws.
- The trait "jaws" appears after lampreys and before tuna.
- So, jaws are the derived trait that separates lampreys from tuna.
✔️ Explanation: On a cladogram, shared derived traits (synapomorphies) define clades. The presence of jaws indicates a common ancestor with jaws, which tuna share but lampreys do not.
---
5. What separates a salamander from a turtle?
> Answer: AMNIOTIC EGG
✔ Correct!
- Salamanders are amphibians — they lay eggs in water (no amniotic egg).
- Turtles are reptiles — they lay amniotic eggs (on land).
- The amniotic egg trait appears after salamanders and before turtles.
- So, amniotic egg is the trait that separates them.
✔️ This reflects the evolutionary transition from amphibians to reptiles.
---
6. Which organism is most related to the leopard?
> Answer: TURTLE
✔ Correct!
- Both turtle and leopard share:
- Amniotic egg
- Four walking legs
- Hair (but hair is only in leopard — wait!)
Wait — hair is only present in leopard, not turtle.
Let’s trace the cladogram:
- Leopard shares:
- Vertebral column → with all others
- Jaws → with tuna, salamander, turtle
- Four walking legs → with turtle and salamander
- Amniotic egg → with turtle
- Hair → only leopard
But turtle shares four walking legs and amniotic egg with leopard.
Salamander has four legs but not amniotic egg.
Tuna has jaws but no legs or amniotic egg.
So the closest relative to leopard is turtle, because they share more derived traits (amniotic egg, four walking legs, and vertebral column, jaws).
✔️ Yes, turtle is the most closely related to leopard in this cladogram.
> ✔ Correct answer: TURTLE
---
7. Which organism’s DNA will differ the most from the leopard? Why?
> Answer: THE LANCELET'S DNA. IT'S THE ORGANISMS WITH LEAST TRAITS IN COMMON AND FARTHEST IN THE CLADOGRAM.
✔ Correct!
- The lancelet is the outgroup — it diverged earliest.
- It shares only the most basic trait: vertebral column (or not even that — lancelets have a notochord, not a true vertebral column).
- All other animals on the cladogram evolved after the lancelet split off.
- Because the lancelet is the most distantly related, it has accumulated the most genetic differences over time.
- Therefore, its DNA will differ the most from the leopard’s.
✔️ Yes, this is correct reasoning.
---
✔ Summary of Correct Answers Based on the Cladogram:
| Question | Answer | Correct? | Explanation |
|--------|--------|---------|-----------|
| 1 | Worms and spiders | ✘ | Not on cladogram |
| 2 | Dragonflies and flies | ✘ | Not on cladogram |
| 3 | Add June bug | ✘ | Can't add; not a vertebrate |
| 4 | JAWS | ✔ | Separates lamprey (jawless) from tuna (jawed) |
| 5 | AMNIOTIC EGG | ✔ | Turtle has it, salamander does not |
| 6 | TURTLE | ✔ | Shares most recent common ancestor with leopard |
| 7 | LANCELET | ✔ | Most distant; least shared traits |
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🔍 Final Notes:
- Questions 1, 2, and 3 are not answerable using this cladogram because they involve organisms not shown (worms, spiders, ants, dragonflies, flies, June bugs).
- These questions seem to refer to a different cladogram (perhaps one showing invertebrates or insects).
- But questions 4–7 are perfectly valid and correctly answered based on the vertebrate cladogram provided.
If you're supposed to use this specific cladogram, then only questions 4–7 should be answered.
Let me know if you'd like help drawing a new cladogram including insects or invertebrates!
Parent Tip: Review the logic above to help your child master the concept of cladograms worksheet.
