Molecular phylogenetics uses genetic information to determine the evolutionary history and relationships between organisms. By comparing genetic material, researchers can construct a phylogenetic tree and estimate when species diverged from their common ancestor. This discipline cannot explain why evolution occurs, but it helps to understand the history of life on Earth.
Molecular phylogenetics is the study of organisms at the molecular level to gather information about the phylogenetic relationships between different organisms. This discipline is used to trace the evolutionary history of an organism or group of organisms. For those who have wondered why scientists can be so accurate when providing estimates of when various events in the history of evolution occurred, the answer lies in molecular phylogenetics.
This branch of science is based on the fact that genetic change is a constant. With each generation, organisms change slightly and the rate of change tends to be constant and reliable. Using this information, people can compare genetic information between different species and determine when they have diverged from each other by examining their degree of similarity and dissimilarity. Researchers can also use this information to construct an evolutionary timeline.
For example, if you look at the DNA of a cat and the DNA of a bird, there will be significant differences, indicating that the two species separated a long time ago. Conversely, a cat and a mouse might have more similarities, showing a more recent common ancestor. Molecular phylogenetics can be used to construct a phylogenetic tree, where a common ancestor is shown as the root and the branches describe the divergences that have occurred over time.
Examining the genetic material of living species can reveal interesting information about common ancestors and when species diverged from their common ancestors. For example, humans appear to be related to great apes, but are more closely related to some apes than others, which shows that human and ape species diverged from their common ancestor at different points. Using information about differences between related species and the known rate of genetic changes, researchers can speculate when the various divergences from a common ancestor occurred.
Molecular phylogenetics cannot explain why evolution occurs, but it can be used to trace the path of evolution to learn more about the history of life on Earth. Researchers interested in topics such as why various organisms went extinct, what kinds of pressures drove evolution in others, and how life on Earth emerged in the first place can use molecular phylogenetics as part of their collection tools of information.
Several researchers have been credited with a quote that runs roughly along the lines of “nothing about life on Earth makes sense without evolution,” referencing the complexity of life on Earth, the obvious history found in the fossil record, and the history found in the DNA of organisms from hedgehog mushrooms to blue whales. Molecular phylogenetics is used to untangle the complex web of evolution so that evolution makes sense to researchers.
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