Writing 3: Write an evolutionary scenario for all clades
of your phylogeny
Your previous two writing assignments should be good drafts for different sections of your final
paper.
For this assignment, you will be turning in a updated copy of your phylogeny as well as a
scientifically plausible evolutionary history for all of your clades. This should be written in an
academic style, and for an audience of your peers. However as long as you cover all the
requirements, the overall tone can be almost anything you want. Have fun! You will be graded
primarily on how scientifically plausible your narrative is, as long as you use the terminology
correctly, you can make your scenario as silly or serious or science fiction-y as you want.
The paper as a whole should contain:
• An edited and improved version of your phylogeny
• An edited and improved version of how your largest clade evolved
• An evolutionary story for each of your smaller clades
• Headings for different sections
• In text citations for examples, and a references section
For more explicit instructions on what should be included in the phylogeny or evolutionary
stories, please refer to the instruction pages from the first two assignments.
Grading Rubric (50 points)
General:
Descriptive but concise – 5
Writing style (grammar, spelling, headings) – 5
Overall understanding of phylogenies and terms- 3
Citations (in-text and reference list) – 2
For the phylogeny:
Quality image of phylogeny – 5
Clearly explains assumptions and outgroup – 5
Phylogeny construction is comprehensive (discusses each clade/individual) – 5
For each clade:
Evolutionary forces are plausible – 5
Explains plausible test for accessing clade – 5
Uses plausible and accurate real-life examples – 5
Comprehensive explanation of environment/behavior/evolutionary forces shape clade – 5
