Classifying life and reconstructing phylogenies Flashcards
Taxonomy and phylogeny
Taxonomy is the science of classification of organisms
Phylogeny is the study of evolutionary relationships
Classification systems
Taxonomy
-Kingdom e.g. animalia
-Phylum e.g. chordata
-Class e.g. aves
-Order e.g. passeriformes
-Family e.g. fringillidae
-Genus e.g. geospiza
-Species e.g. geospiza magnirostris
Phylogeny
Cladistic analysis
Cladistic analysis definition
a method of reconstructing phylogenetic trees that uses shared derived characters to infer evolutionary relationships
Autapomorphies
unique characteristics that are found only in one particular taxon and are not shared with any other taxon
Synapomorphies
shared, derived characteristics that are present in two or more taxa and their most recent common ancestor, but not in more distant ancestors
Symplesiomorphies
shared, primitive characteristics that are present in two or more taxa, as well as their ancestors
Analogous
similarity due to convergent evolution
Homologous
similarity due to common ancestry
Monophyletic group
all
Paraphyletic group
forgotten some
Polyphyletic group
included some
Subdivision of the prokaryotes
Two types of prokaryote, eubacteria (bacteria) and archaebacteria (archaea).
Archaea less numerous and diverse, inhabit extreme environments (very hot/salty)
Appears there are two groups of archaea, unsure how related