Phylogenetic Tree Quiz: Phylogeny Practice Test

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Questions and Answers

What term describes the branch point in a phylogenetic tree where lineages diverge?

Basal taxon

Clade

Polytomy (correct)

Sister taxa

In phylogenetics, what does a clade consist of?

Species that are not closely related

Species that are unrelated to each other

Species that are distantly related

An ancestral species and all of its descendants (correct)

What type of taxa diverges early in the history of a group and originates near the common ancestor of the group?

Sister taxa

Polytomy taxa

Monophyletic taxa

Basal taxon (correct)

Which term describes groups that share an immediate common ancestor?

Sister taxa Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic feature of a monophyletic group (clade)?

Contains species more closely related to each other than to any species outside the group Signup and view all the answers

What is the main focus of phylogenetics?

Studying the evolutionary history of a species Signup and view all the answers

In systematics, what type of data is NOT used to infer evolutionary relationships?

Ecological data Signup and view all the answers

What is the term used to describe characters that indicate shared ancestry in systematics?

Homologies Signup and view all the answers

Carolus Linnaeus introduced a hierarchical system for grouping species. In this system, which of the following is NOT a taxonomic group from broad to narrow?

Variety Signup and view all the answers

Which scientist added the ranks of Domain, Phylum, and Family to the taxonomic classification system initially proposed by Carolus Linnaeus?

None of the above Signup and view all the answers

What is the main difference between homology and analogy in terms of similarity?

Homology is similarity due to shared ancestry while analogy is similarity due to convergent evolution. Signup and view all the answers

How does convergent evolution contribute to the concept of analogous adaptations?

Convergent evolution results in similar adaptations due to similar environmental pressures. Signup and view all the answers

How do phylogenetic trees help in understanding the relationships between organisms?

Phylogenetic trees group organisms based on homologies inherited from a common ancestor. Signup and view all the answers

When making a phylogeny, what is the primary focus in identifying similarities among species?

Identifying similarities due to shared ancestry. Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes the phylogenetic principle in classifying species?

Using shared characters inherited from a common ancestor for classification. Signup and view all the answers

How does cladistics differ from phenetics in constructing phylogenetic trees?

Cladistics groups organisms based on evolutionary relationships, phenetics groups based on physical characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Phylogenetic Trees

A phylogenetic tree represents a hypothesis about evolutionary relationships, showing the relationships between different taxa.
A branch point in a phylogenetic tree represents where lineages diverge and is where the common ancestor of a group of taxa is located.

Key Concepts

Sister taxa are groups that share an immediate common ancestor.
A basal taxon diverges early in the history of a group and originates near the common ancestor of the group.
A polytomy is an unresolved pattern of divergence, where multiple branches emerge from a single point.

Cladograms

A clade is a group of organisms that consists of an ancestral species and all of its descendants.
A clade is monophyletic, meaning it contains species that are more closely related to each other than to any species outside of the group.

Phylogenetics

Phylogenetics is the study of the evolutionary history of a species or group of related species.
The discipline of systematics involves classifying organisms and determining their evolutionary relationships using fossil, morphological, and genetic data.
Systematics involves the identification of characters that indicate shared ancestry, known as homologies.

Taxonomy

Carolus Linnaeus introduced a system for grouping species into increasingly broad categories, starting with two kingdoms: Animalia and Plantae.
The taxonomic groups, from broad to narrow, are Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, and Species.

Phylogenetic Classification

Phylogenetic classification involves identifying characteristics that indicate shared ancestry and depicting relationships in the form of a phylogenetic tree.
The phylogenetic principle classifies species according to how recently they shared a common ancestor.

Homology and Analogy

Homology is the similarity between species due to shared ancestry.
Analogy is the similarity between species due to convergent evolution, where similar environmental pressures and natural selection produce similar adaptations in organisms from different evolutionary lineages.
Convergent evolution occurs when similar adaptations evolve independently in response to similar environmental pressures.

Building Phylogenetic Trees

Phylogenetic trees are built by grouping organisms based on homologies, which are shared characters inherited from a common ancestor.

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Description

Test your knowledge on creating and interpreting phylogenetic trees, including understanding branch points, sister taxa, and basal taxa. Explore evolutionary relationships and how they are represented in a phylogenetic tree.

Phylogenetic Tree Assessment Quiz