The lakes of northern Minnesota are home to many similar species of damselflies of the genus Enallagma that have apparently undergone speciation from ancestral stock since the last glacial retreat about 10,000 years ago. Sequencing which of the following would probably be most useful in sorting out evolutionary relationships among these closely related species?
A) nuclear DNA
B) mitochondrial DNA
C) small nuclear RNA
D) ribosomal RNA
E) amino acids in proteins

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mitochondrial DNA is maternally inherited and has a higher mutation rate compared to nuclear DNA. Therefore, it can provide useful information on relatively recent evolutionary events and relationships among closely related species.

The Lakes of Northern Minnesota Are Home to Many Similar