The Hillis Plot (fine-detail graphics)

[ChrisGreaves]

Edited to add:
Thanks to DaveA's post below:
It is a VERY large PDF file, See "Tree of Life (~3,000 species, based on rRNA sequences) (pdf, 368 KB)" above the chart.
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In "The Greatest Show on Earth" Richard Dawkins (pp329-330) gives a reference to The Hillis Plot.

To save you the agony of typing in the url, here it is:
http://www.zo.utexas.edu/faculty/antise ... esToL.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Several image versions of the tree are available, and the first is a d/l for non-commercial use.

I downloaded the first image which arrived on my hard drive as a 162KB "tree.jpg".
I know less about graphics than I do about DNA, so I double-clicked to load it into Windows/fax/viewer and used the magnifying tool to zoom in.
With this image file, zooming does NOT reveal the detail of the names around the periphery.

I seek confirmation of this statement:
I suspect that if I "printed (it) as a wall poster. Printing at least 54" wide is recommended" I still wouldn't see the names because the level of detail does not exist in this JPG file.


P.S. The book is as usual an excellent read at $cdn20 for the paperback edition.

[DaveA]

I zoomed it to full size (53 x 53 inches) and it was still unreadable. I had to go for 200% or better to do any reading of this chart.

It is a VERY large PDF file, See "Tree of Life (~3,000 species, based on rRNA sequences) (pdf, 368 KB)" above the chart.

So any screen shot and save as will NOT get any of the zooming that is needed to view all of the fine detail.

[ChrisGreaves]

It is a VERY large PDF file,

Thanks dave.
I had not spotted the "PDF" available for d/l.
I can now find my family, labelled clearly "Homo Sapiens", at 600% zoom and am pressing on even further looking for "Greaves"

[DaveA]

I do NOT think the Greaves Family is listed, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greave" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A greave (from the Old French "shin, shin armour" from the Arabic jaurab, meaning stocking[1]) is a piece of armour that protects the leg. Often in matched pairs (a pair of greaves), greaves may be constructed of materials ranging from padded cloth to steel plate. Some designs protect only the lower leg (a half-greave) or extend upwards to protect the thigh.

Greaves are most commonly found in the armor of heavy infantry, usually from ancient times. Greek hoplites wore a bronze greave on each leg. Triarii, the better equipped soldiers of the pre-Marian Roman Republic, wore greaves on both shins reminiscent of the Ancient Greeks. Principes and hastati often only wore one greave (on their left leg) or none. The Roman Centurions wore altered greaves from the standard Roman uniform. Later Imperial legionnaires did not wear greaves, except for the centurions who retained them.

In the Middle Ages, greaves eventually developed to protect the back of the legs as well and these were called full greaves (the style which only covered the front became known as half-greaves or demi-greaves).

[ChrisGreaves]

... is a piece of armour that protects the leg.

Theory is that's why the Greaves family were/are so short.
Probably because my ancient ancestors spent their lives tying shin-and-knee armour onto our superiors.
I stretch it a bit when I claim 5'6", but still and all, at 5'5 3/4" I was the tallest in my family.