Biol 107 lecture 2

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Which scientist is credited with instituting the two-part format of the scientific name, commonly called a binomial?

Carolus Linnaeus (correct)

Louis Pasteur

Charles Darwin

Gregor Mendel

What is the first part of a binomial in the scientific name of an organism?

The common name

The species name

The genus name (correct)

The specific epithet

Why do biologists refer to organisms by Latin scientific names?

To confuse non-biologists

To honor Carolus Linnaeus

To make the names sound more sophisticated

To avoid ambiguity in communication (correct)

Which of the following is true about the Linnaean system of classification?

It places related genera in the same family. Signup and view all the answers

What is a taxon?

A named taxonomic unit at any level of the hierarchy. Signup and view all the answers

Why might a species be misclassified within a genus?

It has lost a key feature shared by its close relatives. Signup and view all the answers

What does the Linnaean system tell us about the evolutionary relationships between different groups of organisms?

It reflects the branching patterns of phylogenetic trees. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about phylogenetic trees?

Phylogenetic trees represent a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships. Signup and view all the answers

What is a sister taxon?

A group of organisms that share an immediate common ancestor not shared by any other group. Signup and view all the answers

What is a basal taxon?

A lineage that diverges from all other members of its group early in the history of the group. Signup and view all the answers

What is the importance of gathering information about morphology, genes, and biochemistry in inferring phylogeny?

To focus on features that result from common ancestry. Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, what assumption underlies the use of a molecular clock?

The assumption that base changes in an organism's DNA occur at a constant rate. Signup and view all the answers

Based on the text, how could it happen that a molecular clock dates the divergence of two taxa at 80 million years ago, but new fossil evidence shows that the taxa diverged at least 120 million years ago?

The molecular clock is inaccurate. Signup and view all the answers

According to the text, how could numerous base changes occur in an organism's DNA yet have no effect on its fitness?

The base changes occur in non-coding regions of the DNA. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes molecular homoplasies?

Coincidental matches in DNA sequences Signup and view all the answers

Which discipline uses data from DNA and other molecules to determine evolutionary relationships?

Molecular systematics Signup and view all the answers

Which pair of species is more likely to be closely related based on similar appearances and divergent gene sequences?

Species A and species B Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of a molecular clock in evolutionary biology?

To measure the absolute time of evolutionary change Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes convergent evolution?

Similarity between organisms due to analogy Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between Australian moles and North American moles?

Australian moles are marsupials, while North American moles are eutherians. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of complex structures with many similar elements in determining shared ancestry?

Complex structures with many similar elements are more likely to have a common ancestor. Signup and view all the answers

What do comparable DNA sequences in distantly related species usually have?

Comparable DNA sequences in distantly related species usually have different bases at many sites and may have different lengths. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best explains why some genes evolve faster than others?

The importance of the gene for survival Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why molecular clocks do not always run smoothly?

The effect of natural selection on DNA changes Signup and view all the answers

Why are estimates of divergence times using molecular clocks highly uncertain?

The constant rate assumption of molecular clocks Signup and view all the answers

How have researchers overcome problems with molecular clocks in estimating divergence times?

By using many genes instead of a few Signup and view all the answers

Which domain consists of all organisms with cells containing true nuclei?

Eukarya Signup and view all the answers

Which kingdom is now considered obsolete because it would have members in two different domains?

Monera Signup and view all the answers

What process involves the transfer of genes between different genomes?

Horizontal gene transfer Signup and view all the answers

What is the main reason why phylogenetic trees built using different genes can give inconsistent results?

Horizontal gene transfer Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a reason why biologists adopted a three-domain system instead of a two-kingdom system?

Prokaryotes differ as much from each other as they do from eukaryotes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the three domains of life?

They were discovered through the analysis of DNA and protein sequence data Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about the domain Archaea?

It contains most of the currently known prokaryotes Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is true about horizontal gene transfer?

It has played a key role throughout the evolutionary history of life Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between the alga Galdieria sulphuraria and most eukaryotes?

All of the above Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the early history of life according to some biologists?

A tangled network of connected branches Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of horizontal gene transfer in the evolutionary history of life?

It has led to the fusion of organisms and the origin of eukaryotes Signup and view all the answers