Macroevolution, Taxonomy, and Phylogeny

Question 1

The Tertiary period began…

Answer 1

65 mya

Question 2

The Pliocene epoch began…

Answer 2

5 mya

Question 3

What does interspecific mean?

Answer 3

That the variation between 2 samples is due to the fact that they are from different species (and can not reproduce)

Question 4

What is punctuated equilibrium?

Answer 4

The theory that rapid change takes place in a short period of time, often due to a speciation event/mutation that led one variation to be so beneficial that the other did not survive

This change is both preceded and followed by long periods of stasis

Question 5

What did John Ray do?

Answer 5

Classified plants using observable data (empirical approach)

Came up with the concept of “species”

Question 6

What is an incipient species?

Answer 6

The beginning of a new species (a group that is about to become a seperate species from other related individuals)

Question 7

What is phyletic gradualism?

Answer 7

This is the theory that small changes accumulate in lineages over long periods of time, resulting in a slow but steady divergence and eventual speciation

Also called “Darwinian Evolution”

Question 8

What is the goal of classifying organisms?

Answer 8

To reflect evolutionary relationships (phylogeny)

Question 9

The first vertebrates appeared…

Answer 9

500 mya during the Paleozoic era

Question 10

The Quaternary period consists of what epochs?

Answer 10

Holocene and Pleistocene

Question 11

What is homoplasy?

Answer 11

The term that describes analogous features (also called characters); developed by different groups of organisms independently and not through shared ancestry.

Question 12

“Father of Taxonomy”

Answer 12

Carolus Linnaeus

Question 13

The Holocene epoch began…

Answer 13

.01 mya (10,000 years)

Question 14

The Paleocene epoch began…

Answer 14

65 mya

Question 15

The Pleistocene epoch began…

Answer 15

1.8 mya

Question 16

The Eocene epoch began…

Answer 16

55 mya

Question 17

Describe Linnaeus’ system of taxonomy

Answer 17

A hierarchical system that classifies organisms into inclusive categories, from most inclusive to least inclusive

Question 18

Describe parapatric speciation

Answer 18

When 2 populations have overlapping geographic ranges, resulting in only partial reproductive isolation

The geographic ranges are different enough that they result in selection for different variations, and seperate enough that gene flow is reduced (increasing variation between the populations)

The interbreeding between the 2 populations results in an incipient species

Question 19

The Miocene epoch began…

Answer 19

23 mya

Question 20

Describe sympatric speciation

Answer 20

There is no geographic or reproductive isolation, but some niche causes a reduction in gene flow and results in random speciation

More theoretical than empirical

Question 21

The Oligocene epoch began…

Answer 21

34 mya

Question 22

The science of naming and classifying

Answer 22

Taxonomy

Question 23

What is the biological species concept?

Answer 23

The idea that a species is a group of actually or potentially interbreeding individuals who are reproductively isolated from other groups

i.e. only members of the same species can produce fertile offspring

Question 24

What are the important factors in determining a fossil species?

Answer 24

Deciding if variation is interspecific or intraspecific

Comparing to modern reference samples

Dealing with the problem of time (tempo of speciation and not knowing time frame)

Question 25

What are the 3 modes of speciation?

Answer 25

Allopatric Parapatric Sympatric

Question 26

When does speciation occur?

Answer 26

When a group splits and becomes so isolated from each other that they are no longer able to reproduce

Question 27

The first placental mammals appeared...

Answer 27

70 mya during the Mesozoic era (reptiles were the dominant land vertebrates)

Question 28

The Cenozoic era consists of what periods?

Answer 28

Quaternary and Tertiary

Question 29

What is the purpose of reconstructing phylogeny and how is it done?

Answer 29

The purpose is to find out what the evolutionary relationships are It is done by identifying homologous traits (homologies) and analogous traits (analogies)

Question 30

When naming an organism at the species level, you must also include the...

Answer 30

Genus

Question 31

The Cenozoic era is divided into...

Answer 31

2 periods (Tertiary and Quaternary) and 7 epochs (Paleocene, Eocene, Oligocene, Miocene, Pliocene, Pleistocene, and Holocene)

Question 32

How is phyletic gradualism different than punctuated equilibrium?

Answer 32

Phyletic gradualism involves slow changes happening over a long period of time, whereas punctuated equilibrium involves rapid periods of change followed by long periods of stasis.

Question 33

The Quaternary period began...

Answer 33

1.8 mya

Question 34

Traits that reflect the ancestral condition (i.e. the ancestor had them as well)

Answer 34

Primitive

Question 35

Traits that were not present before the groups appearance (i.e. the ancestor did not have them)

Answer 35

Derived

Question 36

List the categories of Linnaeus' taxonomy system, from most inclusive to least inclusive

Answer 36

Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species

Question 37

What is a homologous trait?

Answer 37

Structures that are shared by multiple species through descent from a common ancestor i.e. human feet and tarsier feet

Question 38

What are the 2 approaches to taxonomy?

Answer 38

Evolutionary systematics Cladistics

Question 39

What are the similarities between evolutionary systematics and cladistics?

Answer 39

They attempt to reflect phylogeny in taxonomy They compare specific features in organisms (some more informative than others) They focus on homologies

Question 40

A group of organisms that includes and ancestor and ALL descendants of that ancestor

Answer 40

Clade

Question 41

Describe allopatric speciation

Answer 41

When geographic isolation interupts gene flow, resulting in a total reproductive isolation Without gene flow, variation between the 2 groups INCREASES (different adaptations occur at different rates)

Question 42

List the human taxonomy

Answer 42

Kingdom = Animalia Phylum = Chordata Class = Mammalia Order = Primates Family = Hominidae Genus = *Homo* Species = *Homo sapiens*

Question 43

What is an analogous trait?

Answer 43

Structures used for the same function that developed independently due to natural selection (similar response to environmental pressures); NOT developed through common descent i.e. wings of birds, bats, and insects

Question 44

What is phylogeny?

Answer 44

Evolutionary relationships

Question 45

What does intraspecific mean?

Answer 45

That the variation between 2 samples is *within the same species*, possibly due to sexual dimorphism or age

Question 46

The first primates likely appeared in the...

Answer 46

Paleocene epoch (Tertiary period, Cenozoic era)

Question 47

The Teriary period consists of what epochs?

Answer 47

Pliocene, Miocene, Oligocene, Eocene, and Paleocene