Chapter 26: Taxonomy Flashcards
Classification
a process in taxonomy where various things are identified and grouped together into groups.
taxon
a named taxonomic unit
allopatric speciation
forms a new species while geographically isolated
sympatric speciation
a subset forms a news species without geographic separation.
anagenesis
depicting evolutionary change and speciation with a single lineage.
cladogenesis
depicts evolution of many new species evolving from a single ancestral species.
monophyletic
a group of organisms descended from a common evolutionary ancestor or ancestral group, especially one not shared with any other group
paraphyletic
a group of organisms derived from more than one common evolutionary ancestor or ancestral group and therefore not suitable for placing in the same taxon.
parsimony
a logical concept that provides one to determine which possible tree minimizes the possible confusing effects of homoplasies.
homologous structures
may have similar or different functions, but the underlying structure, development, and physiology are the same. They can appear to be dissimilar. ex: human and a dog
analogous structures
very different structurally, but they are similar in function and can appear similar. The underlying structure and development are different. ex: bird wings and insect wings
convergent evolution
different organisms independently evolve simliar traits
divergent evolution
the accumulation of differences between closely related populations within a species, leading to speciation
cladistics
production of a phylogenetic tree by using
- primiative traits
- recently evolved traits
apomorphy
a specialized or derived trait
