Use the Tree of Life website (http://tolweb.org/tree/) to explore the hierarchical taxonomy of three living organisms. The point of this exercise is to help you become aware of the enormous diversity of both living and extinct species and to familiarize yourself with the way scientists organize species into hierarchical groupings.
- For each species you investigate, you will start at the root of the tree of life
- Select branches of the tree as you navigate to the species page
- You will almost certainly take some wrong “turns” along the way. Just keep trying things until you find the right path.
- Along the way, record each of the choices that correctly lead you from the root of the tree to the organism.
- Type the results of this “journey” as a text entry to the Canvas assignment.
- Make sure to correctly capitalize and italicize the names of all taxonomic groups.
- Select branches of the tree as you navigate to the species page
For example, if you had traced the phylogeny of the Shasta Crayfish, you would record:
Eukaryotes –> Animals (metazoa) –> Bilateria –> Arthropoda –> Crustacea –> Malacostraca –> Decopoda –> Asticidea –> Pacifastacus fortis
- To complete this assignment, investigate the following species:
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 |  |  |
| Stagmomantis californica | Homo sapiens | One additional organism of your choice |
Once you have finished tracing the taxonomy of all three species, write a paragraph that reflects on this process. Include:
- Insights you gained by looking more deeply at the taxonomic hierarchy of living organisms
- What you found difficult about the process
- Anything you found surprising about the navigation for each species
Submit all three paths and your reflection as a text entry to the Canvas assignment.