Chasing after Caminalcules

Classification, Evolution, and the Scientific Method

The Challenge

New fossils that could belong to Caminalcules Phylum have been found!

Your goal is to discover everything you can from the data given.

Your Tasks

  1. Open only one of the Challenges (select from the Documents folder)
  2. With the help of the DNA reference sequences, try to answer the following questions:

Questions to Answer

  1. Determine its age.
  2. Propose its evolutionary relationships.
  3. Describe its physiology: Was it aquatic? Was it fixed to the soil? Was it a predator?
  4. Describe the probable ecological situation at this time: high/low ecological pressure, competition with other species...
  5. Which is its taxonomic group? And its phylogenetic group?
  6. Which name would you propose for this species?

Be Attentive!

In the data given, something not directly related to your fossil doesn't fit with some previous data.

You never know when an unexpected discovery is waiting for you!

Make a document with your answers - you will need it for the final step, the poster session.

Alternative Version

There is an alternative design of this Step that includes Analysis of DNA Data.