QUIZ 2.3 Flashcards
The science of naming, describing, and
classifying organisms into groups based on
shared characteristics.
TAXONOMY
The arrangement of organisms into orderly
groups based on their similarities and
relationships.
CLASSIFICATION
The arrangement of taxonomic ranks in
order, from broadest to most specific
Domain → Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order →
Family → Genus → Species
HIERARCHY
A method of classification based on the
evolutionary relationships and common
ancestry of organisms.
CLADISTIC
A group or category in the taxonomic
hierarchy, such as species, genus, or
family.
TAXON
A system of naming organisms
following specific rules and
conventions.
NOMENCLATURE
The study of biological diversity and the
relationships among organisms,
encompassing taxonomy and
phylogeny.
SYSTEMATICS
The variety of life forms within a given
ecosystem, biome, or the entire Earth.
BIODIVERSITY
A domain of single-celled
microorganisms distinct from bacteria,
often found in extreme environments.
ARCHAEBACTERIA
An ancestral trait shared by two
or more taxa.
SYMPLESIOMORPHY
The process through which new species
arise.
SPECIATION
An organism resulting from the
crossbreeding of two different species or
taxa.
HYBRID
The branch of science that studies the
geographic distribution of animal species.
ZOOGEOGRAPHY
The plants of a particular region, habitat, or
geological period.
FLORA
The animals of a particular region, habitat,
or geological period.
FAUNA
An evolution process by which unrelated
organisms evolve similar traits due to
similar environmental pressures.
CONVERGENT
An evolution process by which two or more
related species become more dissimilar over
time.
DIVIRGENT
The observable characteristics or traits of an
organism, such as morphology, behavior,
and physiology.
PHENOTYPE
The genetic constitution of an organism that
determines its characteristics.
GENOTYPE
Refers to a clade that includes all
descendants of a common ancestor
HOLOPHYLETIC
A population of a species that is adapted to a
specific ecological environment.
ECOTYPE
A group of organisms used as a reference
point in cladistic analysis to determine
evolutionary relationships.
OUTGROUP
The group of organisms being studied in a
phylogenetic analysis.
INGROUP
The condition where two or more scientific
names refer to the same taxon.
SYNONYM
The study of evolutionary relationships
using genomic data.
PHYLOGENOMIC
The evolutionary change within a single
lineage over time.
ANAGENESIS
The evolutionary splitting of a lineage into
two or more distinct lineages.
CLADOGENESIS
A unique derived trait specific to a single
taxon
AUTAMORPHY
A branching diagram showing similarity in
observable traits among organisms,
regardless of evolutionary relationships.
PHENOGRAM
The mutual adaptation of two or more
species or traits that interact closely.
COADAPTATION
A trait that has evolved independently in
different species due to similar environmental
pressures, not shared ancestry.
HOMOPLASY
Diseases that can be transmitted from
animals to humans, highlighting
interspecies relationships.
ZOONOSIS
The study of the distribution of species and
ecosystems in geographic space and through
geological time.
BIOGEOGRAPHY
The classification of organisms into broad
taxonomic categories like kingdoms or
phyla.
MACROTAXONOMY
The classification of organisms at finer levels,
such as species and subspecies.
MICROTAXONOMY
The practice of a scientist revising or
redefining the taxonomy of a group of
organisms, often those they initially studied.
AUTOTAXONOMY
The loss of one species leading to the
extinction of another, often due to close
ecological interactions.
COEXTINCTION
A relationship where one organism lives
inside another, leading to evolutionary
developments.
ENDOSYMBIOSIS
A scientific name in which the genus and
species names are identical (e.g., Bison bison)
TAUTONYM
a species with a global distribution across
many geographic areas.
COSMOPOLITAN
