Cladograms

What does a cladogram show us?• A cladogram shows evolutionary relationships

between groups of living things. It is like a family tree for species.

How do you read a cladogram?• The closer two species are on the cladogram, the

more closely they are related. This means they evolved apart more recently.

• Sometimes a cladogram will list the characteristics that make two groups or organisms different.

Everything past this point has four walking legs!

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug

Catfish

Frog

Tiger

Human

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X

Frog X

Tiger X

Human X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X X

Frog X X

Tiger X X

Human X X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X X

Frog X X X

Tiger X X X

Human X X X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X X

Frog X X X

Tiger X X X X

Human X X X X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X X

Frog X X X

Tiger X X X X

Human X X X X X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

A. Make a table of some adaptations that the organisms share, and some that are unique. For example:

Cells Backbone Legs Hair Thumbs

Slug X

Catfish X X

Frog X X X

Tiger X X X X

Human X X X X X

Let’s make a cladogram that includes slugs, catfish, frogs, tigers, and humans.

How do you make a cladogram?

B. Then create a Venn diagram, placing the animals in groups to illustrate those characteristics which different animals have in common.

Cells: Slug, Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

How do you make a cladogram?

B. Then create a Venn diagram, placing the animals in groups to illustrate those characteristics which different animals have in common.

Cells: Slug, Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Backbone: Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

How do you make a cladogram?

B. Then create a Venn diagram, placing the animals in groups to illustrate those characteristics which different animals have in common.

Cells: Slug, Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Backbone: Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Legs: Frog, Tiger and Human

How do you make a cladogram?

B. Then create a Venn diagram, placing the animals in groups to illustrate those characteristics which different animals have in common.

Cells: Slug, Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Backbone: Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Legs: Frog, Tiger and Human

Hair: Tiger and Human

How do you make a cladogram?

B. Then create a Venn diagram, placing the animals in groups to illustrate those characteristics which different animals have in common.

Cells: Slug, Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Backbone: Catfish, Frog, Tiger and Human

Legs: Frog, Tiger and Human

Hair: Tiger and Human

Thumbs: Human

How do you make a cladogram?C. Draw your cladogram. It is assumed that organisms

with more of the traits evolved later, so they go at the top or on the right. Less evolved organisms go at the bottom or left side of the cladogram.

How do you make a cladogram?C. Draw your cladogram. It is assumed that organisms

with more of the traits evolved later, so they go at the top or on the right. Less evolved organisms go at the bottom or left side of the cladogram.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

How do you make a cladogram?C. Draw your cladogram. It is assumed that organisms

with more of the traits evolved later, so they go at the top or on the right. Less evolved organisms go at the bottom or left side of the cladogram.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

BACKBONE

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

BACKBONE

LEGS

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

BACKBONE

LEGS

HAIR

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

BACKBONE

LEGS

HAIR

THUMBS

How do you make a cladogram?

D. Then add in when the different traits most likely evolved.

SLUGS

CATFISH

FROGS

TIGERHUMANS

CELLS

BACKBONE

LEGS

HAIR

THUMBS