Pre-Lab 1 Flashcards
What is the basic underlying assumption of cladistics?
Cladistics assumes that organisms can be grouped based on shared derived characteristics.
True or False: Cladistics relies solely on phenotypic traits.
False
Fill in the blank: In cladistics, a __________ is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants.
clade
What is an outgroup in cladistics?
An outgroup is a taxon that is outside the group being studied, used for comparison.
Multiple Choice: What is the purpose of using an outgroup in cladistics?
To help determine the evolutionary relationships within the ingroup.
What does the term ‘ingroup’ refer to in cladistics?
The ingroup refers to the group of organisms being studied.
True or False: Outgroups should be closely related to the ingroup.
True
Fill in the blank: The characteristics of the __________ are used to infer the ancestral traits of the ingroup.
outgroup
What type of characteristics do cladists focus on when constructing a cladogram?
Shared derived characteristics.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of cladistics?
It emphasizes morphological characteristics over genetic data.
What is the significance of shared derived traits in cladistics?
They indicate common ancestry among organisms.
True or False: Cladistics can be used to predict evolutionary relationships.
True
What is a cladogram?
A cladogram is a diagram that shows the relationships among different clades.
Fill in the blank: Cladistics is a method of __________ classification.
phylogenetic
What is the role of synapomorphies in cladistics?
Synapomorphies are shared derived traits that help define clades.
Multiple Choice: Which of the following best describes a parsimony approach in cladistics?
Choosing the simplest explanation that requires the fewest evolutionary changes.
True or False: Cladistics exclusively uses morphological data.
False
What does the term ‘monophyletic’ mean?
A monophyletic group includes an ancestor and all its descendants.
Fill in the blank: A __________ group includes some but not all descendants of a common ancestor.
paraphyletic
What is the difference between a sister group and an outgroup?
A sister group is the closest relative within the ingroup, while an outgroup is outside the ingroup.
True or False: Cladistics can only be applied to animals.
False
What is the importance of using multiple outgroups?
Using multiple outgroups can provide a clearer understanding of evolutionary relationships.
Fill in the blank: Cladistics often utilizes __________ data to construct phylogenetic trees.
genetic
What is the main goal of cladistics?
To reconstruct the evolutionary history of organisms.
