Wildlife Biology 2

Question 1

Classification

Answer 1

the arrangement of animals and plants in taxonomic groups according to their observed similarities

Question 2

Taxonomy

Answer 2

the classification of something, especially organisms.

Question 3

Binomial nomenclature

Answer 3

the system of nomenclature in which two terms are used to denote a species of living organism, the first one indicating the genus and the second the specific epithet.

Question 4

Taxon

Answer 4

a taxonomic group of any rank, such as a species, family, or class.

Question 5

Genus

Answer 5

a class of things that have common characteristics and that can be divided into subordinate kinds.

Question 6

Family

Answer 6

all the descendants of a common ancestor.

Question 7

Order

Answer 7

a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms and recognized by the nomenclature codes

Question 8

Class

Answer 8

a set or category of things having some property or attribute in common and differentiated from others by kind, type, or quality.

Question 9

Phylum

Answer 9

a principal taxonomic category that ranks above class and below kingdom.

Question 10

Division

Answer 10

the action of separating something into parts.

Question 11

Kingdom

Answer 11

a taxonomic category of the highest rank, grouping together all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common

Question 12

Domain

Answer 12

superkingdom or empire.

Question 13

Phylogeny

Answer 13

The evolutionary development and history of a species or higher taxonomic grouping of organisms.

Question 14

Characters

Answer 14

any observable feature, or trait, of an organism, whether acquired or inherited

Question 15

Molecular clock

Answer 15

a technique that uses the mutation rate of biomolecules to deduce the time in prehistory when two or more life forms diverged.

Question 16

Cladistics

Answer 16

a method of classification of animals and plants according to the proportion of measurable characteristics that they have in common. It is assumed that the higher the proportion of characteristics that two organisms share, the more recently they diverged from a common ancestor.

Question 17

Cladogram

Answer 17

a branching diagram showing the cladistic relationship between a number of species.

Question 18

Fungus

Answer 18

any of a group of unicellular, multicellular, or syncytial spore-producing organisms feeding on organic matter, including molds, yeast, mushrooms, and toadstools.