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Phylogeny and the Tree of Life Quiz

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Questions and Answers

What is the purpose of a phylogenetic tree or evolutionary tree?

It represents the evolutionary relationships among a set of organisms or groups of organisms, called taxa.

What are two descendants that split from the same node on a phylogenetic tree called?

Sister groups

In constructing a character matrix chart, what data is typically included?

The character states or traits of different organisms or taxa.

What is the significance of shared derived characters in constructing a phylogenetic tree?

They provide evidence of common ancestry and can be used to group organisms together. Signup and view all the answers

How are outgroup taxa selected when constructing a phylogenetic tree?

They are chosen based on being distantly related to the ingroup taxa of interest. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of molecular data, such as DNA or protein sequences, in phylogenetic analysis?

It provides additional characters that can be used to infer evolutionary relationships. Signup and view all the answers

How does the principle of maximum parsimony guide the construction of phylogenetic trees?

It favors the tree that requires the fewest evolutionary changes to explain the observed data. Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of bootstrapping in phylogenetic analysis?

It provides a measure of statistical support or confidence for the branching patterns in a phylogenetic tree. Signup and view all the answers

How can convergent evolution or horizontal gene transfer complicate the construction of phylogenetic trees?

They can lead to the appearance of shared characters that are not due to common ancestry, potentially misleading the analysis. Signup and view all the answers

What is the significance of a monophyletic group in a phylogenetic tree?

It includes all descendants of a common ancestor and no other organisms outside that lineage. Signup and view all the answers