It is a way to show relations between different organisms. This chart does not show how organisms are related. In this project we created a cladogram showing how different hardware materials were related to each other. We could not call the hardware by its actual name i.e. screw, nail, etc. We had to create new names for them that were scientific. For instance we named the nail Metallum Id Aggressus Sum which means metal with a tack. This helped to teach us how to classify different materials based on its traits.
(Figure 1):
This is what our final cladogram looked like
This is what our final cladogram looked like
We also had to write a story about the evolution of hardware.
Cladogram Story
Back in the year 3000 BM (Before Metal), there was a species made of plastic called Plastic Metallum Vertical, which later inherited other traits including different colors (grey and white), different shapes (more rigid surface or sharper tip), and got rid of the metal. In the year 3104 APBSBM (After Plastic But Still Before Metal), the trait of plastic quickly died out and got replaced with rubber, along with the new common trait of curving somewhere. The new species Metallum Flexilis, was a circular piece of metal with rubber attached on the bottom. Unfortunately, the environment made rubber a disadvantageous trait, causing the following species to only be metal. After a random mutation of a flat piece of metal with waves (which died out quickly), the new common trait among species seemed to be circular. Many species arose and died out, including having a hexagonal shape with a circle inside or having a dome on top of the circle. One mutation allowed for the species to have wings, but they were too heavy so they couldn’t fly and the useless trait died out. The following mutation, in 3587 DM (During Metal), inherited a question mark shape that was disadvantageous. But the question mark shape sparked a new common ancestor of the next species: having a head. These species had two types of heads, plus heads and minus heads. They developed the two different characteristics by reproductive isolation because they would only mate with another if they had the same head. Apparently, the minus head trait was disadvantageous, as it died out. But the plus head trait carried on and inherited the trait of having a point. The year 3917 DMWHAP (During Metal With Head And Point) was when species with round heads, rigid surfaces, and points ruled the world. There were several variations of the species (like different colors and materials), but they were still very closely related. After another drastic change in the metal world environment, having a rigid surface became useless, so the species transitioned into a smooth surface. The year 4023 ARS (After Rigid Surfaces) was when the Metallum Id Aggressus Sum existed with a big head, small tip, and smooth surface. Over time, the species developed a longer tip and smaller head, until the final species Metallum Planus Torquent with the most advantageous traits and lived forever.