Lesson summary for...

Making Cladograms

Author/Source: ENSI
Overview:This lesson introduces students to the building of cladograms as evolutionary trees, showing how shared derived characters can be used to reveal degrees of relationship.
Concepts:This lesson covers the following concepts:
  • Scientists use anatomical evidence to infer the relatedness of taxa.
  • Classification is based on evolutionary relationships.
  • Evolutionary trees (e.g., phylogenies or cladograms) are built from multiple lines of evidence.
Grade Level:9-12
Time:One class period.
Teacher Background:Explore these links for additional information on the topics covered in this lesson: