Description

This activity will introduce you to the diversity and classification of bat taxa while reinstating the knowledge you learned about phylogenetic systematics. Following the bat phylogeny and morphology lecture, group of 4 students will create two cladograms based on a morphological data set scored and then will conduct character mapping on a given cladogram.

Groups will gather data by looking at images and reading about different bat taxa. Throughout this activity ask yourself the question:

“Based on morphology alone, how are these taxa related?”

In this Activity each student group will:

1. Create a data matrix by scoring a set of 6 morphological characters on 10 bat clades (monophyletic taxa) and 1 outgroup (coyote/carnivora)

2. Build two hypothesized cladograms by grouping taxa by synapomorphies

3. Perform Character Mapping with two characters

4. Present group’s cladistic results to the class

Objectives:

• Help students gain knowledge of unique morphological traits associated within chiropteran families.
• Introduce cladistic analysis to biology students; enhance their understanding of phylogenetic systematic terminology through activity-driven leaning.
• Have students evaluate alternative cladograms and conduct character mapping so that they understand the Principle of Parsimony.
• Highlight types of data (morphological, molecular, and behavioral) used in current phylogenies.
• Teach students about the currently supported phylogenies of bats and how extant families are grouped.

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