Science Animals of the Worldusually ages 13–14

Grouping Species Using DNA

Explain cladistics: organisms are grouped by shared derived characters, not just similarity; how phylogenetic trees are built using molecular data (DNA sequence alignment) and the molecular clock; explain why birds are technically a group within dinosaurs (crown Avemetatarsalia); distinguish convergent evolution (unrelated species evolving similar traits) from parallel evolution; introduce horizontal gene transfer and why the tree of life is more accurately a web; explain why classification systems keep changing as new data emerge

Try this together

Can your child explain why biologists now say that birds ARE a type of dinosaur — not just their descendants but literally within the dinosaur family tree? What does that tell us about how scientists classify animals?

Where this sits on the map

Stuck here? Check the skills it builds on first. Confident? Here’s what it unlocks.

Builds on

Invasive Speciesages 9–11Cladistics and phylogenetics depends on invasive species disrupting native ecosystems

The Biodiversity Crisisages 12–14Cladistic and phylogenetic analysis depends on understanding extinction rates and the current biodiversity crisis

Chromosomes, Genes & DNAages 12–13KS3 chromosomes and DNA are the molecular basis for the sequence data used in building phylogenetic trees with molecular clocks

Grouping Species Using DNAthis skill · ages 13–14

Unlocks

Nothing on the map depends on this yet.

solid = must come firstdashed = helps

Curriculum alignment

Candidate matches to official curriculum codes — machine-suggested, unreviewed (v0.1).

This skill sits beyond Year 6 in the Australian Curriculum, so no F–6 code is matched. It also sits beyond the NSW K–6 syllabuses. It also sits beyond Level 6 in the Victorian Curriculum.

Nearby on the map

Deep-Sea Survivalages 12–13 Sexual Selectionages 12–13 The Biodiversity Crisisages 12–14 The Red Queen Hypothesisages 11–12

All Animals of the World skills →