Question

You are a scientist who discovers three new species of beetles in the jungles of South America. Describe, in detail, how a protein found in each of these beetles can be used to determine which species are more closely related. Be sure to answer this question in paragraph form using complete sentences.

Answer 1

Since all of the three beetle species posses the protein, we can use it to determine their relations. We can study the sequence of the amino acids that make the protein and the 3D structure of the protein. The more differences there are in amino acid sequences and the structure of the protein, the species are more distantly related because they have diverged a long time ago and their genes that produce that protein have undergone many changes over time.