Solving T. rex’s Identity Crisis

(See the assignment on the student section of the site.)

Purpose:

Use the cladogram and data on inherited features [PDF] to make hypotheses about what T. rex was like.

Materials needed:

• Cladogram and Additional Data [PDF]
• Student’s completed Features Table [PDF]

Instructions:

Examine the questions below. For at least two of the questions:

1. Decide if it is possible to answer the question with the data provided (the cladogram and data tables).
2. If it is not possible, what information is needed to be able to answer the question?
3. If it is possible, what kind of hypothesis would you make? What is the evidence for your statement? In your justification, make sure that you include information about common ancestors and shared inherited features. What other evidence would you look for that would support or refute your hypothesis?

What other kinds of questions might be answered using the cladogram and data tables?

Questions:

• Did T. rex have an amniotic egg?
• Could T. rex have had feathers?
• Did T. rex have color vision?
• How many chambers were there in T. rex‘s heart?