Bio 311 D exam 4

Describe challenges biologists face when defining species, including what significance is given to morphological differences, genetic variation, and reproductive isolation. Explain how genetic variation can lead to reproductive isolation and speciation. Distinguish allopatric and sympatric speciation processes, and describe a possible scenario of each. List several pre-zygotic and post-zygotic mechanisms of reproductive isolation and tell how they help to maintain distinct species.

Interpret a phylogenetic tree, identifying an out-group, nodes, common ancestors, sister taxa, and monophyletic groups. Use a phylogenetic tree to support or reject a hypothesis. Explain how evolutionary relationships can be explored using different types of data (e.g., morphology, developmental patterns, nucleotide sequences) Give examples of convergent evolution between distantly related species and divergent evolution between closely related species. Compare homologous and analogous trai

Recognize important events in the History of Life on Earth •Draw and be able to explain the key features of the tree of life, including the evolutionary relationships with the common ancestor of all living organisms, major split between the two prokaryote domains, and the origin of eukaryotes. •Recognize the extensive uncertainty at the base of the tree, as horizontal gene transfer makes it more a network than a dichotomous tree.