读懂系统发育树.docVIP

读懂系统发育树 已有 213 次阅读 2011-10-11 22:35 |系统分类:论文交流|关键词:class Reading a Phylogenetic Tree: The Meaning of Monophyletic Groups By:?David Baum, Ph.D.?(Dept. of Botany, University of Wisconsin, 430 Lincoln Ave., Madison, WI)???2008?Nature Education? Citation:?Baum,?D.?(2008)?Reading a phylogenetic tree: The meaning of monophyletic groups.?Nature Education?1(1) Phylogenies are a fundamental tool for organizing our knowledge of the biological diversity we observe on our planet. But how exactly do we understand and use these devices? 1Introduction 2 What an Evolutionary Tree Represents 3 4 The Lexicon of Phylogenetic Inference 5 How to Read an Evolutionary Tree 6 The Importance of Phylogenetic Trees 7 Summary 8References and Recommended Reading ? A phylogenetic tree, also known as a phylogeny, is a diagram that depicts the lines of evolutionary descent of different species, organisms, or genes from a common ancestor. Phylogenies are useful for organizing knowledge of biological diversity, for structuring classifications, and for providing insight into events that occurred during evolution. Furthermore, because these trees show descent from a common ancestor, and because much of the strongest evidence for evolution comes in the form of common ancestry, one must understand phylogenies in order to fully appreciate the overwhelming evidence supporting the theory of evolution. Tree diagrams have been used in evolutionary biology since the time of Charles Darwin. Therefore, one might assume that, by now, most scientists would be exceedingly comfortable with tree thinking--reading and interpreting phylogenies. However, it turns out that the tree model of evolution is somewhat counterintuitive and easily misunderstood. This may be the reason why biologists have only in the last few decades come to develop a rigorous understanding of phylogenetic trees. This understanding allows present-day researchers to use phylogenies to visualize evolution, organize their knowledge of biod