Questions and Answers
Darwin's idea about a 'tree of life' suggested a new way to classify organisms- not just based on similarities and differences but instead based on __________________________________.
evolutionary relationships
What method is used to group species into larger categories that reflect lines of evolutionary descent rather than overall similarities and differences?
evolutionary classification
What is another name for evolutionary classification?
phylogenic systematics
What is the study of how living and extinct organisms are related to one another?
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Phylogenic systematics places organisms into higher taxa whose organisms are ______ to one another than they are to members of any other group.
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The larger a taxon is, the __________ back in time all of its members shared a common ancestor.
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What is a group of species that includes a single common ancestor and all descendants of that ancestor, living and extinct?
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A clade must be a _______________ group.
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What does it mean for a clade to be monophyletic?
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What links groups of organisms by showing how evolutionary lines, or lineages, branched off from common ancestors?
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What method is used to determine how clades are related to one another?
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What event occurs when an ancestral lineage branches into 2 new lineages?
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What is the spot on a cladogram where a lineage branches into 2 new branches?
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What does the bottom or 'root' of the tree in a cladogram represent?
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What do the branching patterns in a cladogram indicate?
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What is a trait that arose in the most recent common ancestor of a particular lineage and was passed along to its descendants?
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Because distantly related groups of organisms can lose the same character, systematists are cautious about using the __________ of a trait as a derived character.
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In general, the more derived GENETIC characters 2 species share, the more ___________ they shared a common ancestor and the ______________ related they are in evolutionary terms.
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ALL organisms carry genetic information in their _____.
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Study Notes
Evolutionary Relationships
- Darwin proposed the concept of a "tree of life" for classifying organisms based on evolutionary relationships.
- Classification is informed not solely by similarities or differences, but by evolutionary lineage.
Evolutionary Classification
- This method organizes species into broader categories reflecting evolutionary descent rather than superficial characteristics.
Phylogenic Systematics
- Another term for evolutionary classification, emphasizing the relationships between organisms.
Phylogeny
- The examination of relationships among living and extinct organisms, aiding in understanding their ancestry.
Organismal Relations
- Phylogenic systematics categorizes organisms into taxa that share a closer evolutionary relationship with each other than with members of other groups.
Common Ancestry
- Larger taxa consist of organisms that shared a common ancestor further back in time.
Clades
- A clade includes a common ancestor and all its descendants, both living and extinct.
Monophyletic Groups
- Clades must be monophyletic, meaning they include all descendants from a single common ancestor without excluding any related species.
Cladogram Representation
- A cladogram visually connects organism groups, depicting evolutionary lines and how they diverged from common ancestors.
Cladistic Analysis
- A method for defining relationships among clades, crucial in studying evolutionary biology.
Speciation Events
- These events occur when an ancestral lineage splits into two new lineages, marking the origin of new species.
Nodes and Branch Points
- A node on a cladogram indicates the last shared common ancestor of branching lineages.
Cladogram Root
- The base (root) of a cladogram signifies the common ancestor of all organisms represented within.
Branching Patterns
- The branching in a cladogram reflects the degrees of relatedness among organisms, indicating how closely they are related through evolution.
Derived Characters
- Traits that originated in the most recent common ancestor of a lineage and are inherited by its descendants.
Absence of Traits
- Caution is advised when determining derived characters based on the absence of a trait, as distantly related groups may lose similar traits independently.
Genetic Relationships
- Organisms sharing more derived genetic characters generally indicate a more recent common ancestor and closer evolutionary ties.
Genetic Information
- All organisms contain genetic information encoded in DNA, the fundamental molecule of life.
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Description
Explore the principles of evolutionary relationships and classification in this quiz. Learn how Darwin's 'tree of life' concept reflects the evolutionary lineage of organisms. Understand the significance of phylogeny and clades in categorizing species based on their common ancestry.
