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IB Biology HL A3.2.6 Hl Constructing Cladograms Questions

Construct cladograms from sequence alignments and shared traits, then use parsimony to select the tree requiring the fewest evolutionary changes.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Course
Biology HL
Level
HL

Exam points

  • Use DNA, RNA, amino-acid, morphological or karyotype evidence to compare organisms in cladistics.
  • Construct a cladogram from aligned sequences, shared traits or distance data and explain how the alignment supports the tree.
  • Apply parsimony by selecting the cladogram that requires the fewest evolutionary changes.

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Study A3.2.6 (HL)—Constructing cladograms conceptsOpen the corresponding Concept lesson for explanations, examples and exam connections.

IB Biology HL A3.2.6 Hl Constructing Cladograms Questions question 1

[Maximum number: 2]

International agreement limits the hunting of whales. Only the meat of the Minke, Fin and Humpback whales from Southern Hemisphere populations is allowed to be sold on the domestic market in Japan. Scientists obtained five samples of food that were being sold as "whale meat" in a Japanese market place. They identified the species and probable geographic origin of the meat using genetic analysis. The results were used to construct the cladogram.

Figure for Question IB Biology HL A3.2.6 Hl Constructing Cladograms Questions question 1 — IB Biology HL

Explain how sequence alignment software might have been used in this study.

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