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Molecular Systematics:
opportunities and
controversies
Molecular Systematics
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Molecular biology has revolutionized the field of
systematics
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Molecular systematics is a powerful new tool.
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It opens a new different dimension of looking at
the field of systematics
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The earliest of molecular systematics was
chemotaxonomy (using macro molecules such
as seed proteins, polypeptides, carbohydrates,
secondary metabolites etc.). However, these
have largely been replaced in recent time by
DNA/RNA data.
Controversies in Molecular Systematics
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Molecules versus morphologies
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Types of characters and methods of analysis
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Homology and similarity in molecular
systematics
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Gene trees and organismal phylogeny
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Constancy of evolutionary rates
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Neutrality of Molecular variants
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Data quality and presentation
Pros and Cons using morphology dan DNA
in phylogenetic analysis
Pros and Cons using morphology dan DNA
in phylogenetic analysis
i) Genetics
ii) Existence of variation
iii) Cost
iv) Ability to study characters that reflect a
variety of different genes
v) The fossil record
vi) Determination of homology
vii) Convergent evolution
viii)The rate of evolution