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Phylogenetics and Evolution Essentials
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1
Question
What is phylogenetics?
Page 1
Answer
The science of figuring out relationships between organisms
2
Question
What is a phylogeny?
Page 1
Answer
A hypothesis of evolutionary interrelationships of a group of species/populations, usually shown as a tree
3
Question
What is systematics?
Page 1
Answer
Science of classifying organisms based on characteristics/relationships
4
Question
What is taxonomy?
Page 1
Answer
Part of systematics concerned with naming organisms
5
Question
What is cladistics?
Page 1
Answer
Classification of organisms based on their order of branching on an evolutionary tree
6
Question
What is a cladogram?
Page 1
Answer
Phylogenetic tree
7
Question
Who developed binomial nomenclature?
Page 1
Answer
Linnaeus
8
Question
What is the hierarchical classification system?
Page 1
Answer
Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
9
Question
How are binomial species names formatted?
Page 1
Answer
Genus capitalized, species not; entire name italicized or underlined
10
Question
What do branches on phylogenetic trees represent?
Page 1
Answer
Speciation events
11
Question
What is microevolution?
Page 1
Answer
Change in allele frequencies
12
Question
What is macroevolution?
Page 1
Answer
Major change leading to speciation
13
Question
What is a monophyletic group?
Page 1
Answer
Common ancestor and all descendants shown on tree
14
Question
What is a paraphyletic group?
Page 1
Answer
Common ancestor and some descendants shown
15
Question
What is a polyphyletic group?
Page 1
Answer
Group without including a common ancestor
16
Question
What can phylogenies be inferred from?
Page 1
Answer
Morphological and molecular homologies
17
Question
What is convergent evolution?
Page 1
Answer
Analogous traits evolved independently due to natural selection
18
Question
What are homoplasies?
Page 1
Answer
Analogous morphologies or molecular sequences developed independently
19
Question
What are shared derived characters?
Page 1
Answer
New characteristics relative to earlier forms that distinguish from common ancestors
20
Question
What is parsimony in phylogenetics?
Page 1
Answer
Picks tree with fewest evolutionary steps
21
Question
What is Occam's razor?
Page 2
Answer
When two hypotheses make the same predictions, the simpler one is more likely correct
22
Question
What are parametric methods in phylogenetics?
Page 2
Answer
Maximum likelihood, Bayesian inference; give clade support values
23
Question
What is gradualism in macroevolution?
Page 2
Answer
Model where evolution occurs slowly and steadily (Mayr, Darwin)
24
Question
What is punctuated equilibria?
Page 2
Answer
Model with stasis punctuated by rapid change (Gould, Eldredge)
25
Question
What evidence supports macroevolution?
Page 2
Answer
Biogeography, fossils, adaptive radiations, molecular clock
26
Question
What is a molecular clock?
Page 2
Answer
Used for identifying the time of divergence for two lineages
27
Question
How is the molecular clock calibrated?
Page 2
Answer
Using the fossil record or mutation accumulation over generations
28
Question
What did Miller and Urey's experiment show?
Page 2
Answer
Organic molecules could form under early Earth conditions
29
Question
What are protocells?
Page 2
Answer
Vesicles packaging molecules, maintaining internal chemical environment
30
Question
What are ribozymes?
Page 3
Answer
RNA molecules that catalyze reactions