Study the table, and figure out the order of evolution of each character. You have been given reason to believe that, based on the fossil record, Xenite A is the ancestral species. For the Xenites, consider what paper to be homologies and analogies. Create your cladogram for the Xenites.
Table below:
Xenite A. no spines, no eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Xenite B. no spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, yes mouth
Xenite C. no spines, yes eyestalks, yes tail, yes mouth
Xenite D. yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Xenite E. yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
Based on the information provided, we can infer the order of evolution for the Xenites as follows:
1. Xenite A: no spines, no eyestalks, no tail, no mouth
2. Xenite B: no spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, yes mouth (acquired eyestalks and mouth)
3. Xenite D: yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth (acquired spines)
4. Xenite C: no spines, yes eyestalks, yes tail, yes mouth (acquired tail)
5. Xenite E: yes spines, yes eyestalks, no tail, no mouth (evolved spines)
To create a cladogram for the Xenites:
Xenite A
|
Xenite B
/ \
Xenite D Xenite C
|
Xenite E