Setophaga write-up pt 1

The first step was to look for patterns among the various species of Setophaga. This included looking at pictures in the Powerpoint that we were presented with, cross referencing those pictures with other images from google images to obtain better views, and study the museum specimen. The next step was to take note of any specific patterns that were evident in various parts of the bodies of the setophaga. The patterns were then compiled into a list of ten characteristics that the group felt appropriately depicted the phylogenetic tree that we were given. Once the list was formed, we then went through every picture on the PowerPoint to determine whether or not each species showed a trait. There were instances where the traits were collected as a numerical value, with a “1” representing that the trait was present and a “0” representing an absent trait. There were also instances where the traits present had to be identified with colors, adding more variation to the table. Four plumage traits that showed an interesting dispersal among the species were picked from the list of ten characteristics and mapped onto cladograms. The four plumage traits depicted in the cladograms are “breast color”, “throat color”, “homologous nape”, and “wing bar”.