ch. 20

Question 1

analogy

Answer 1

(also, homoplasy) characteristic that is similar between organisms by convergent evolution, not due to the same evolutionary path

Question 2

basal taxon

Answer 2

branch on a phylogenetic tree that has not diverged significantly from the root ancestor

Question 3

binomial nomenclature

Answer 3

system of two-part scientific names for an organism, which includes genus and species names

Question 4

branch point

Answer 4

node on a phylogenetic tree where a single lineage splits into distinct new ones

Question 5

cladistics

Answer 5

system to organize homologous traits to describe phylogenies

Question 6

class

Answer 6

division of phylum in the taxonomic classification system

Question 7

eukaryote-first hypothesis

Answer 7

proposal that prokaryotes evolved from eukaryotes

Question 8

family

Answer 8

division of order in the taxonomic classification system

Question 9

gene transfer agent (GTA)

Answer 9

bacteriophage-like particle that transfers random genomic segments from one species of prokaryote to another

Question 10

genome fusion

Answer 10

fusion of two prokaryotic genomes, presumably by endosymbiosis

Question 11

genus

Answer 11

division of family in the taxonomic classification system; the first part of the binomial scientific name

Question 12

horizontal gene transfer (HGT)

Answer 12

(also, lateral gene transfer) transfer of genes between unrelated species

Question 13

kingdom

Answer 13

domain division in the taxonomic classification system

Question 14

maximum parsimony

Answer 14

applying the simplest, most obvious way with the least number of steps

Question 15

mitochondria-first hypothesis

Answer 15

proposal that prokaryotes acquired a mitochondrion first, followed by nuclear development

Question 16

molecular systematics

Answer 16

technique using molecular evidence to identify phylogenetic relationships

Question 17

monophyletic group/clade

Answer 17

organisms that share a single ancestor

Question 18

nucleus-first hypothesis

Answer 18

proposal that prokaryotes acquired a nucleus first, and then the mitochondrion

Question 19

order

Answer 19

class division in the taxonomic classification system

Question 20

phylogenic tree

Answer 20

diagram that reflects the evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms

Question 21

phylogeny

Answer 21

evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or group of organisms

Question 22

phylum

Answer 22

kingdom division in the taxonomic classification system

Question 23

polytomy

Answer 23

branch on a phylogenetic tree with more than two groups or taxa

Question 24

ring of life

Answer 24

phylogenetic model where all three domains of life evolved from a pool of primitive prokaryotes

Question 25

rooted

Answer 25

single ancestral lineage on a phylogenetic tree to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate

Question 26

shared ancestral character

Answer 26

describes a characteristic on a phylogenetic tree that all organisms on the tree share

Question 27

shared derived character

Answer 27

describes a characteristic on a phylogenetic tree that only a certain clade of organisms share

Question 28

sister taxa

Answer 28

two lineages that diverged from the same branch point

Question 29

systematics

Answer 29

field of organizing and classifying organisms based on evolutionary relationships

Question 30

taxon (plural: taxa)

Answer 30

single level in the taxonomic classification system

Question 31

taxonomy

Answer 31

science of classifying organisms

Question 32

web of life

Answer 32

phylogenetic model that attempts to incorporate the effects of horizontal gene transfer on evolution