Taxonomy and Systematics

Question 1

Etymology

Answer 1

Study of word origins and meanings of root words

Question 2

Taxonomy

Answer 2

The practice of classifying organisms

Question 3

Systematics

Answer 3

The theory of clarifying organisms

Question 4

Nomenclature

Answer 4

A system of rules for naming things

Question 5

Common name

Answer 5

Name for organism that isn’t based on Linnaean system

Question 6

Linnaeas

Answer 6

Botanist, created current naming system

Question 7

Levels of organisms

Answer 7

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Question 8

Taxa

Answer 8

Groups of organisms that have been given names by people

Question 9

Senior Synonym

Answer 9

Oldest published name for a taxa and the one with priority

Question 10

Senior homonym

Answer 10

Oldest name of two of the same name for two different taxa at the same level

Question 11

Codes (nomenclature)

Answer 11

Plants, fungi, animals, and prokarya

Question 12

Systematists

Answer 12

Those involved in systematics

Question 13

Molecular systematics

Answer 13

Using proteins, DNA, and RNA to classify organisms

Question 14

Stratigraphy

Answer 14

Temporal order in which fossils occur

Question 15

Cladistics

Answer 15

Clados = branch
Phylon = tribe or race
Gen = to create
Phylogenetic systematics

Question 16

Clade

Answer 16

Group of organisms whose close evolutionary relationship is supported by shared derived characteristics

Question 17

Cladograms

Answer 17

Represent order of evolutionary events

Question 18

Node

Answer 18

Where lineages diverge, represent hypothetical common ancestor

Question 19

Dichotomy

Answer 19

Fully resolved split into two taxa

Question 20

Polytomy

Answer 20

An unresolved pattern of divergence

Question 21

Sister taxa

Answer 21

Side by side taxa

Question 22

Basal tax on

Answer 22

Branches off earliest in cladogram

Question 23

Character

Answer 23

Each type of structure, behaviour, etc.

Question 24

Principle of parsimony

Answer 24

AKA Occam’s Razor
As simple as possible

Question 25

Ancestral

Answer 25

Original state

Question 26

Derived state

Answer 26

Changed from ancestral state

Question 27

Synapomorphy

Answer 27

Shared derived state
Syn = together
Apo = away from
Morph = from

Question 28

Symplesiomorphy

Answer 28

Shared ancestral state (not changed)

Question 29

Autapomorphy

Answer 29

Unique derived state

Question 30

Homology

Answer 30

Character states with the same evolutionary origin

Question 31

Homoplasy

Answer 31

AKA analogous, homoplasious, convergent
Character states appear the same but evolved independently

Question 32

Polyphyletic

Answer 32

• Species that don’t share recent ancestors but are lumped together.
• Result when spp. are put together based on superficial similarity

Question 33

Paraphyletic

Answer 33

Result of removing a taxa that’s highly divergent from the rest of the clade