Evolutionary Classification Flashcards
What is the goal of evolutionary classification
To group species into larger categories that reflect line of evolutionary descent rather than overall similarities and differences
What is phylogeny
The evolutionary history of lineages
What does evolutionary classification. Group organisms into
Clades
What is a clade
Group of species with a single common ancestor
Includes all the descendants of the ancestor that are living or extinct
A clade must be a monophyletic groups( includes a single common ancestor and all of its descendants
What does paraphyletic mean
The group included a common ancestor but excluded one or more groups of descendants
What is a cladogram
Links groups of organisms by showing evolutionary branched off from a common ancestor
What is a derived characteristic
A trait that arose in the most recent common ancestor and was passed down
What is a node
The last point at which the two new lineages shared a common ancestor
Whether or not a character is derived depends on
The level of grouping
Why is the most recent mean of determining derived characteristic
DNA evidence
The more derived genetic characters,
The more recent the common ancestor
And the more closely related two organisms are
