Classification of Species

Procedure: To start the experiment with exercise 1, I gathered all of the needed supplies, both from around my house and from the lab paq CD. I then began exercise one by printing the images in Figure 5 from my labpaq. I then proceeded to cut out each shark. Next I carefully examined the drawing of shark specimen 1. After examining the shark I went to the Key to the Classification of Sharks by Family chart. There, I went through each question, answering yes or no until I hit the family name of the shark. I recorded the family name of Shark 1 in Data Table 1. I repeated all of the steps starting with examining the shark specimen for the remaining 13 sharks. Marking down their family name in Data table 1. Afterwards, exercise 1 was complete.

To start exercise 2, I printed the images of the fossil members of the Fossil Crawlas phylum from my CD. I then cut out each of the fossil Crawlas. After, I arranged the images on a sheet of paper to create a phylogenetic tree. I used tape to hold the specimens in their correct position. Next, I printed the images of the living specimen of the family of Crawlas in from my CD and cut out each image. Then, I used the dichotomous key to identify each specimen to the correct genus and species based on structural similarities and differences. I recorded the genus and species of each specimen in Data Table 2. I then answered all of the questions from both exercises and finished the experiment.

Questions:
Questions for exercise 1:
A) Find five pieces of food and create a dichotomous key to classify the food. Explain your reasoning for each step of the key. Here is a dichotomous key I made to classify cheese Pizza, crackers, steak, cereal, and Oreos. 1. A. Consumed hot initially (go to 2)

B. Consumed not hot (go to 3)
2. A. Made with cheese and tomato sauce(you have cheese pizza) B. Grilled to your choice of rare to well done. (you have steak) 3. A. Consumed with milk(go to 4)
B. Quick snack shaped in squares(crackers)
4. A. Eaten with a spoon(you have cereal)
B. Eaten with your hands(you have Oreos)
The reasoning was to go from vague changes to more specific ones so that you could find the food you were consuming. B) How might you arrange the sequence of the classification key differently while still achieving the same results? Although it may make things take more time, you may put the really specific questions up first and then have the easy vague ones towards the end. For example, the first question, is the body of your shark specimen diamond shaped? This could be asked at the end and you will still get the same results.

C) What eight characteristics are used to identify the family of a shark? The eight characteristics used to identify a shark are its mouth location, its gills, its pelvic fin, its anal fin, its dorsal fins, its caudal fin, its nose, and its body shape from above. D) What is the main characteristic that distinguishes shark 12 from shark 7? The main characteristic that distinguishes the two is the fact that shark 12 has 6 gills and shark 17 only has 7. Questions for exercise 2:

A) Were the characteristics of all of the living specimens able to fit in the key, or were there some specimens that were difficult to place? Some specimens were difficult to place.
B) Were some of the living crawlas placed in the same species? If so, do you think their similarities warranted classification in one species? Explain your answers. Yes, in two different cases, two crawlas were placed in the same species. C) Were the characteristics of all of the fossil specimen able to fit the key, or were there some specimen that were difficult to place? The characteristics of all of the fossil specimen were not able to fit the key. D) Develop a hypothesis regarding the evolutionary links between fossil and living specimens based on the classification system used in this exercise. If fossil specimen are no longer able to fit on the classification systems of living specimen, then we know that evolution is true and these creatures were shaped into better versions of themselves.

Conclusion: In conclusion, this experiment went well.