Molecular systematics is the use of molecules to determine classification systems and relationships. For hundreds of years botanists used morphology, or overall appearance, to identify and classify plants. Morphological systematics has been important...

Molecular systematics is the use of molecular genetics to study the evolution of relationships among individuals and species. The goal of systematic studies is to provide insight into the history of groups of organisms and the evolutionary processes...

Molecular phylogeny is the use of the structure of molecules to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. The result of a molecular phylogenetic analysis is expressed in a so-called phylogenetic tree. Every living organism contains...

ABSTRACT--The nutria (Myocastor coypus) has been a fixture of Louisiana wetlands since its introduction from South America in the 1930's. Once the major contributor to Louisiana's nation-leading fur trade, species proliferation has concomitantly been a major cause of herbivorous crop destruction and subsequently...

The aim of this research was to analyze the phylogenetic relationships of zooxanthellate bivalves belonging to the genera Tridacna, Hippopus, Fragum, and Corculum as well as to the closely related azooxanthellate bivalves belonging to Vasticardium and Fulvia. The small-subunit ribosomal RNA genes (18S rDNAs)...