Cycle 9 - Evolutionary Relationships

Question 1

Taxonomic Ranks (increasing order)

Answer 1

Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 2

What is an evolutionary/phylogenetic tree?

Answer 2

A hypothesis describing the evolutionary relationships of species or any group of organisms.

Question 3

Monophyletic

Answer 3

Includes all MRCA and all the descendants

Question 4

Extant

Answer 4

Species or groups of organisms existing in the present

Question 5

Nodes

Answer 5

represents a common ancestors

Question 6

Bifurcates

Answer 6

Splits in two

Question 7

Outgroup

Answer 7

the oldest, earliest node of the tree

Question 8

Ancestral

Answer 8

Evolved before the MRCA of a group

Question 9

Plesiomorphy

Answer 9

An evolutionary trait that is homologous within a particular group of organisms but is not unique to members of that group.
Cannot be a defining characteristic for that group.

Question 10

Derived

Answer 10

Evolved after the MRCA of a group

Question 11

Apomorphy

Answer 11

An evolved character or trait unique to a particular phylogenetic group of organisms.

Question 12

Synapomorphy

Answer 12

A characteristic present in at least two or more organisms in a group.

Question 13

Anagensis

Answer 13

Evolutionary change, no branching of lineage, evolution within a lineage, does not promote biological diversity

Question 14

Cladogenesis

Answer 14

evolutionary change, branching of the lineage, evolution results in lineage splitting, promotes biological diversity.

Question 15

Homology

Answer 15

Similarity that reflects common ancestors

Question 16

Convergent evolution

Answer 16

Not closely related organisms develop similar features through evolution

Question 17

Homoplasy

Answer 17

Misleading similarities

Question 18

Parsimony

Answer 18

Out of all possible explanations, the simplest of the set is most likely to be correct.