Evolution:生命的分类树

This short, targeted simulation is adapted from the full-length “Evolution: Founding theories and principles” simulation.

What are the major kingdoms of life and how are they related to each other? In this simulation, we will answer this question by building a taxonomic tree of life and assigning different species to the kingdoms. Can you determine the key features of each kingdom, and assign the species?

Building the Tree of Life

Build your own taxonomic tree by comparing the biological differences that discriminate between the major kingdoms of life. To complete your tree, you’ll examine the fossil evidence for evolutionary divergence and assign the defining features to each kingdom. Discover the differences between the prokaryotes and eukaryotes, the bacteria and archaea, and the animalia and fungi kingdoms.

Assigning species

一旦您的树坚固而清晰，您将尝试将生物放置在不同的王国中。发现将这些物种放入这些王国的问题。有时，仅形态就无法区分物种，例如，金星蝇陷阱是一种植物，但它也是食肉动物。在这种情况下，您需要转向系统发育证据，以帮助确定物种的谱系。但是，物种之间的自发遗传转移可能使得很难遵循物种的进化。

Examining troublesome species

最后,尝试适合梵的古老物种uses, which when following certain rules might not even be considered as alive, into the tree of life. By the end of this simulation you will know the major kingdoms of life and why not all species fit within these kingdoms.