Phylogenetics Laboratory
Exercise Two - Bible Phylogeny
Phylogenetics has turned out to have many uses. A recent one that has
attracted attention is its use in analyzing the lineages of texts. Texts
are very much like DNA or amino acid sequence data, which we will be dealing
with next!
- Use the techniques you learned in class with fasteners to reconstruct
the history of the Bible using this familiar piece of text.
- Provide your character matrix and phylogeny. (Note: there is
NO ONE correct answer. Do your best.)
- In half to one page, interpret whether the phylogeny makes sense
in terms of the known chronological dates of publication of the different
versions.
- In half to one page summarize what you see the differences are
between a textual phylogeny and an evolutionary phylogeny, if any.
- Defend your reasoning.
We have partially aligned the sequences below for
you, but you have leeway to change these alignments. You will also have
to make decisions/rules about character states, such as rearrangements,
punctuation, and word forms.
You may find the alignment easier on a word processor. The file has
been uploaded to the course web page.
Genesis 1:3
- And God said, Let there be light:
and there was light.
- Then God said, "Let there be light!"
So there was light.
- Then God said, "Let there be light";
and there was light.
- And God said, Let there be light:
and there was light.
- And God said:
Be light made. And
light was made.
- And God said, Let there be light:
and there was light.
- and God saith, 'Let
light be;' and
light is.
- Then God said, "Let there be light,"
and there was light.
- And God sayde: let there be light,
and there was light.
- Then God sayd: let there be lyghte
and there was lyghte.
- And God seide, Be maad
light; and maad is
light.
Bible Versions and Dates published for above passages
- KING JAMES VERSION 1611
- GOD'S WORD: The Bible for the Next Generation!
- NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE 1971
- AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE 1901
- DOUAY-RHEIMS 1609
- WEBSTER'S BIBLE 1833
- YOUNG'S LITERAL TRANSLATION
- NEW LIVING VERSION 1996
- MILES COVERDALE 1535
- WILLIAM TYNDALE 1530
- JOHN WYCLIFFE 1382
These links describe the history of Bible versions
You may find these useful in interpreting your phylogeny. Use other
links as the interest moves you.
http://olc2.ohiolink.edu/db/bible-info.html
http://www.netministries.org/Bbasics/BBVer.htm
A similar exercise was conducted with versions of Chaucer's The Canterbury
Tales
PDF file of Nature
paper
(Barbrook et al. 1998. The phylogeny of the Canterbury Tales. Nature.
v394: 839.)
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