Unit 7 Taxonomy and Cladistics Flashcards

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Questions and Answers

What is taxonomy?

The science of naming and classifying organisms.

Who based classification on whether an organism was a plant or an animal and its habitat?

Aristotle

Who is known as the Father of Taxonomy?

Carlous Linnaeus

What do taxa become as you go further along the classification hierarchy?

More specific Signup and view all the answers

What does the mnemonic 'Kings Play Chess On Fat Guys Stomachs' represent?

Genius Signup and view all the answers

What is binomial nomenclature?

A 2-part naming system Signup and view all the answers

What is a cladogram?

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships between organisms. Signup and view all the answers

How are the seven levels of Linnaeus' classification system organized?

Based on their physical similarities. Signup and view all the answers

Describe the trend in the levels of classification from kingdom to species.

The levels move from more general to more specific. Signup and view all the answers

What is a taxon?

A group of organisms in a classification system. Signup and view all the answers

What is a clade?

A group of species that share a common ancestor. Signup and view all the answers

What is the goal of cladistics?

To place species in the order in which they descended from a common ancestor based on shared characteristics. Signup and view all the answers

What does a cladogram represent?

Evolutionary relationships between organisms. Signup and view all the answers

What is the best way to construct a cladogram?

<ol> <li>Pick the organisms 2. Choose one ancestral and one derived characteristic for the outgroup 3. Pick derived characteristics for the ingroup 4. Place and draw the outgroup 5. Place and draw the ingroup.</li> </ol> Signup and view all the answers

What do the nodes on the cladogram represent?

The last ancestral trait of a certain individual or thing. Signup and view all the answers

What role does molecular evidence play in determining how closely two species are related?

Molecular evidence reveals species relativeness through DNA sequences and proteins/genes. Signup and view all the answers

What is cladistics?

A classification system based on common ancestry. Signup and view all the answers

What is a derived character?

Traits that can be used to figure out evolutionary relationships. Signup and view all the answers

How are derived characters incorporated into a cladogram?

They are shared by some species but not present in others; the more closely related species are, the more derived characters they will share. Signup and view all the answers

What things should you keep in mind while making a cladogram?

Consider how the organism is evolving, the time frame, and similarities. Signup and view all the answers

Are the individuals represented by the nodes currently alive?

No, they are outdated and represent older versions of the individual. Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Taxonomy

Science focused on naming and classifying organisms.
Developed systems categorize organisms based on shared characteristics.

Historical Figures

Aristotle: Classified organisms into plants and animals, also considered habitat.
Carlous Linnaeus: Known as the Father of Taxonomy; created a hierarchical classification system based on morphology.

Classification System

Taxa: Categories become more specific as one moves from broad to narrow classifications. Shared taxa indicate closer relationships between organisms.
Linnaeus' system: Levels organized by physical similarities, transitioning from general categories (kingdom) to specific ones (species).
Mnemonic: "Kings Play Chess On Fat Guys' Stomachs" corresponds to the levels: Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species.

Naming Convention

Binomial Nomenclature: Two-part naming system for scientific names, always in Latin. Underlined when handwritten and italicized when typed.

Cladistics and Cladograms

Cladogram: Diagram representing evolutionary relationships among species.
Clade: A group of species with a common ancestor.
Goal of Cladistics: To arrange species according to their descent from a common ancestor, based on shared characteristics.
Nodes represent the last common ancestor and its traits.

Constructing a Cladogram

Steps include selecting organisms, designating an outgroup with one ancestral and one derived characteristic, and identifying derived characteristics for the ingroup.
Derived characters help uncover evolutionary relationships and are shared among closely related species.

Molecular Evidence

Molecular evidence (like DNA and protein sequences) informs the degree of relatedness among species.
This evidence enhances cladistic analysis and classification accuracy.

Key Concepts

Derived Character: Traits indicating evolutionary relationships that can be shared among some species but absent in others.
Important considerations in cladogram construction include evolutionary changes and temporal factors.
Nodes do not represent current living individuals; instead, they depict ancestral traits from earlier species.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the concepts of taxonomy and cladistics with these flashcards. Learn about key figures like Aristotle and Carlous Linnaeus, and understand the classifications of organisms. Perfect for students studying biology.