Lab 1 - Taxonomy and Phylogeny Flashcards
What is taxonomy?
Science of classifying and naming organisms
What are the taxonomic classifications?
Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species
What is binomial nomenclature?
Genus + Species
What is nomenclature?
rules and systems used to name taxa
What are taxa?
Groups of organisms
What is a phylogeny?
a hypothesis of reconstructing ancestral relationships
What is divergent evolution?
groups from the same common ancestor evolve and accumulate difference, which forms a new species
What is convergent evolution?
when different species have similar features due to adaptations to similar environments
What is the difference between divergent and convergent evolution?
A common ancestor evolves into new species - divergent
Different species have similar traits due to adapting to similar environments - convergent
What are some examples of divergent evolution?
The evolution of different finches with different beaks from a common ancestor
What are some examples of convergent evolution?
The wings of bats, birds, and insects
What are derived characteristics?
Traits found in an organism that aren’t found in a common ancestor
What is a phylogenetic tree?
a way of showing evolutionary relationships
What is a node on a phylogenetic tree?
represent common ancestors
Can branches be rotated around nodes?
Yes
What is systematics?
involves both taxonomy and phylogeny
What is a basal character?
similar structures of two organism shared due to their common ancestry
What is a monophyletic group?
contains all organisms descending from a common ancestor
What is polyphyletic group?
doesn’t contain all surviving organisms descending from a common ancestor
What is an outgroup of a phylogenetic trees?
most distantly related taxon of a phylogeny
What is a homology?
similarity due to sharing a common ancestor
What is a parsimony?
the simplest possible explanation is the most viable
A fish and a dolphin both have fins. What evolution is this an example of?
Convergent evolution
Mammals have fur or hair, but no other animals do. What kind of character is this?
Derived character
