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The relationships between groups of organisms
(taxa)
can be expressed on a special kind of diagram called a
cladogram.
Here is a simple example for a selection of UK animals:
A simple score for the differences between two organisms can be calculated by
counting the number of
nodes between them on the cladogram.
For example, there are 4 nodes between the fox and the thrush
(show me).
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By adding the scores for all the possible combinations in an area, we generate the taxic richness
score. This is a simple estimate of the genetic diversity of the area.
For example, in an area containing a red admiral, a common newt and a fox, the combinations are:
| Red admiral - common newt | = 6 | |
| Therefore total taxic richness |
= 6 + 9 + 6 |
| = 21 |
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| Red admiral - fox | = 9 |
| Common newt - fox | = 6 |
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What is the taxic richness score for an area containing a fox, a shrew, and a thrush?
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