Proteins and Clades: A Lab Exercise Using Molecular Methods to Illustrate Phylogenetic Relationships Among Fish

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2014, Volume 35

Kimberley Harcombe & Mrinal Das

Abstract

This lab exercise uses protein gel electrophoresis to compare protein profiles between different species of fish, and uses the results to infer the phylogenetic relationships among them. This experiment is conducted as part of the laboratory component of the Zoology 400 (Aquatic Vertebrates) course in the Ecology/Environmental Biology stream of the Biology degree program at MacEwan University. Most students in the course have had very little exposure to molecular biology techniques and are primarily familiar with the morphological characteristics of the fish. This exercise provides them with a hands-on opportunity to gather data using molecular techniques, compare their results with morphological evidence, and incorporate this information into their understanding of the evolutionary relationships among major groups of fishes.

Keywords:  fish, clade, proteomics, phylogeny

University of Calgary (2013)