Evolution and Systematics Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is gradual change at the genetic level of populations over the course of several generations?
Evolution
What occurs when new species arise from common ancestors via descent with modification?
Speciation
What is the evolutionary history of organisms?
Phylogeny
What represent descent from common ancestors?
Phylogenetic trees or cladograms
What is the study of evolutionary relationships?
Systematics
What arrange taxa in a hierarchical manner?
Cladograms
What group appears first in cladograms?
Basal
What group appear last in cladograms?
Derived
What is a closely related taxon outside the taxon being studied (ingroup)?
Outgroup
What are basal traits that appear before the outgroup?
Plesiomorphies
What are specific variations of a character?
Character states
What are derived traits that appear after the outgroup?
Apomorphies
What are shared apomorphies?
Synapomorphies
What are apomorphies unique to a taxon?
Autapomorphies
What group include a recent common ancestor and all descendants?
Monophyletic groups
What group leave out one or more descendants and are not valid taxonomically?
Paraphyletic
What states that the phylogeny which requires the fewest evolutionary changes is most likely?
Parsimony
What are character or character states that share the same evolutionary origin?
Homologies
What are character or character states common to multiple taxa that evolved independently?
Homoplasies