For today we will only be using the animalia part of the tree, but if you get time, feel free to search for your favorite plant or fungus! Be aware that the pages will load slowly. They contain lots of pictures and lots of information! One more thing... if you are caught on any non-tree-of-life website, you will get a detention. Be good!
You may want to read the entire first page of the Tree of Life site to get an idea of how it works. If at any point you get lost, go back to this page and begin again. Now, start at the root of the tree.
We will be looking for our own species at this point.
1. Are we Eubacteria, Eukaryotes, Archaea or viruses? Write down your answer and follow that link.
2. You should now see a cactus, a butterfly and one other eukaryotic organism. What is that thing, anyway?
3. We belong to a group called opisthokonts. Which group of opisthokonts do we belong to? Write down your answer and follow the link.
4. What four animals are listed on this page? Did you know theose were all animals?
5. Click on Bilateria. There is a lot of diversity within this group! Write down three groups within Bilateria, including the group humans belong to. Circle the one humans are in.
6. Find Chordata and click it. Here you will see several groups with a yellow cross. What does that mean? Now click on the Craniata group.
7. There are only two groups within Craniata. Which do we belong to?
8. We have jaws. Which group are we in now?
9. We are teleostomes and osteichthyes. Are we four-legged vertebrates? Yes! (Well two arms and two legs...) Anyway, which group is that? Click it.
10. We are terrestrial (live on land). Click that. Now you should see a lot of diversity. Which group do we belong to? Click that.
11. On this page there is a discussion about the position of certain animals being uncertain. Which kind of animal is it?
12. Now which group includes humans? Click it.
13. Now you should see that we are in the group Eupelycosauria, Sphenacodontia, Sphenacodontoidia, and then which? Click it.
14. Now you will see several groups including mammalia. Click it. Which animals are pictured? Give common names. If you don't know what they are, click the picture for a description.
15. Monotremata, Marsupiala and Eutheria are the three living groups of mammals. Which do we belong to? Click it.
16. Now you will see a group that you are sure we belong to. What is it? Click it.
17. Platyrrhini, catarrhini, tarsii, strepsirhini... Which are we? Click it.
18. Now which group do we belong to? Click it.
19. Click until you find modern humans. Who are the pictures of?
20. The pictures show different races. Do you think the author of the site is suggesting that races are biologically different from each other or that those people show the diversity within the species Homo sapiens?
21. Click this link and read the quick facts about race. Now click on the "Human Diversity" section. Click "Explore diversity". Read through that and look at the cline maps. Where are people with the biggest heads usually found? The smallest heads?
22. What three parts of the world did people migrate from to the US?
23. From this reading, do you think biological diversity among humans supports our ideas of race? Still not sure? Click on this link.
24. Now you may choose any organism. Write the common name of it. Go back to the root of the tree of life and write down each group that your organism belongs to. If you can do this, you will get extra credit.