phylogeny

Question 1

what is ‘phylogeny’?

Answer 1

the classification of organisms based on evolutionary relationships

Question 2

what evidence is used for phylogenetics?

Answer 2

modern animals and fossils
- study genetics and physical characteristics

Question 3

what do phylogenetic trees show?

Answer 3

different species evolving from a common ancestor

Question 4

what is an advantage of phylogeny?

Answer 4

produces a continuous tree instead of requiring discrete taxonomical groups
it considers evolutionary relationships that might not be obvious by just looking at
characteristics
it is not hierarchical therefore different groups on the tree are represented according to their evolutionary position so can be compared

Question 5

what is the main difference between early classification systems and phylogeny?

Answer 5

phylogeny is based on evolutionary relationships rather than physical observations

Question 6

what is convergent evolution?

Answer 6

unrelated organisms evolve structures/traits with the same function due to the environment