Which of the following is the correct sequence of steps involved in determining evolutionary relatedness among species?

• A. Align sequences, interpret relationships, collect data, construct a phylogenetic tree
• B. Interpret relationships, construct a phylogenetic tree, collect data, align sequences
• C. Construct a phylogenetic tree, collect data, align sequences, interpret relationships
• D. Collect morphological or genetic data, align sequences, construct a phylogenetic tree, interpret relationships

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by collecting morphological or genetic data from the species being studied. Morphological data refers to physical traits, while genetic data involves DNA or protein sequences.
2. Step 2: Align the sequences obtained from the genetic data. Sequence alignment is the process of arranging DNA, RNA, or protein sequences to identify regions of similarity, which may indicate functional, structural, or evolutionary relationships.
3. Step 3: Use the aligned sequences to construct a phylogenetic tree. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among species based on shared traits or genetic similarities.
4. Step 4: Interpret the relationships depicted in the phylogenetic tree. This involves analyzing the branching patterns to understand how species are related and identifying common ancestors.
5. Step 5: Summarize the findings to explain the evolutionary relatedness among the species, highlighting key insights gained from the data and tree interpretation.