In: Biology
Explain the basic features of a phylogenetic tree and
discuss the statement that evolutionary
relationships inferred from phenotypes or sequence data are is not
always simply divergent.
500 words
Answer- phylogenetic tree is used to explain the relationship between various species of animals regarding the phenotypic characters and the genotypes. It is used to differentiate between different species and the time of speciation in terms of the arising of new species from the old species. It is just like a graphical representative of the speciation occurred based on the characteristics.
The data of the phenotypes and genotyoes of different species is not always divergent. The sequence data of the phylogenetic tree is the sequence of the speciation from where a new species was produced from the old ancestors. The phenotype and genotypes both are changed in the formation of new species. The genetic information of the old ancestors remain conserved upto various percent. The various genes and their function remains the same. The phenotype although is changed but thenever there will be some similarities among the old and new species.
The relationship between the phenotype and sequence data are associated with one another as the sequence data is simply the sequence of speciation and the phenotypic changes are the changes made from the one species to another that belongs to same or different family.
The resluts of the both may be divergent or same but it depends upon the distance between the two species in terms of evolution. Those which are closely related showed less divergence and those which are less related show more divergence.