MyMapVertebrate Cladogram
A cladogram showing evolutionary relationships among vertebrate groups: fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds with shared derived characteristics at branching points.
Preview
“Create a cladogram of vertebrates”
About the framework
Cladogram for Vertebrate Evolution
This template models vertebrate phylogeny as a cladogram where each branching point represents a shared derived characteristic (synapomorphy). Reading left to right, organisms accumulate traits: fish have jaws, amphibians add lungs, reptiles add amniotic eggs, and so on.
The key insight is that birds and reptiles share the amniotic egg node, reflecting their closer evolutionary relationship compared to mammals. This surprises many students who assume birds and mammals are more closely related.
Customize by adding specific species as examples at each terminal, expanding with invertebrate outgroups, or adding time scales to show when each divergence occurred.
What's included
What you get
- Branching tree with 11 nodes showing evolutionary divergence
- Root: Vertebrata ancestor with progressive branching
- Shared traits: Jaws, Lungs, Amniotic Egg, Feathers, Hair/Milk
- Terminal groups: Fish, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals
- Color-coded: blue for traits, purple for terminal taxa, orange for derived groups
Vertebrate Cladogram
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Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Can I add specific species examples?
Yes. Click 'Use this template' and ask 'Add example species under each group like salmon for fish, frog for amphibians, and eagle for birds.' The AI will expand terminal nodes.
How do I add invertebrate outgroups?
Ask the AI to 'Add an invertebrate outgroup branch with arthropods and mollusks before the vertebrate root' to show the broader tree of life context.
Can I add a geological timeline?
Absolutely. Ask 'Add divergence dates in millions of years ago at each branching point' and the AI will annotate the cladogram with evolutionary time scale.
Vertebrate Cladogram
Free to start. No credit card required.