Life on Earth Worksheet

Name : _____Ashley Vernet_______
Chapter 17: Life on Earth
Activity designed by Kathleen Rudolph

Taxa to explore – Elephants!!
1. Review terms (write definitions for these terms)
Extant
Species, families, or groups still in existence
Extinct
Species, families, or groups no longer in existence, end or died out
Genotype
Genetic make-up of an organism
Phenotype
Physical attributes of an organism, observable or measurable traits
Synapomorphy
Shared characteristic that are inherited from most recent common ancestor

Background: There are three extant species of elephant: Elaphas maximus (Asian elephants), Loxodonta africana (African elephants), and Loxodonta cyclotis (African forest elephants). Their taxonomic hierarchy is as follows:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Elaphas
Species: maximus

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Loxodonta
Species: africana Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Proboscidea
Family: Elephantidae
Genus: Loxodonta
Species: cyclotis
2. Collect an image of each species. You will submit these as a part of your assignment. (see full assignment instructions)

3. Looking at these pictures, can you think of any EXTINCT animal or animals that might be a close relative of modern elephants? List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you aren’t quite sure, just give the common name.

Mammoth

4. Now think about EXTANT taxa. Identify 2 animals that you might expect to be the closest LIVING relative to the elephants. List it/them below. If you know the scientific name (genus and species) then you can put that. If you aren’t quite sure, just give the common name.
Possible Relative A

Possible Relative B
Rock Hyrax

Manatees

5. For the closest EXTANT relatives, what