Question 1

What is a major advantage of maximum likelihood methods as compared with parsimony methods?
A) Maximum likelihood methods are computationally easier.
B) Maximum likelihood methods can be used with molecular data.
C) Unlike parsimony methods,maximum likelihood methods can be used for studying relationships among very similar organisms.
D) Unlike parsimony methods,maximum likelihood methods can be used for studying relationships among distantly related organisms.
E) Maximum likelihood methods incorporate more information about evolutionary change.

Accepted Answer

Maximum likelihood methods incorporate more information about evolutionary change, including the rate of evolution and the distribution of nucleotide substitutions, which can result in more accurate phylogenetic inferences. Parsimony methods, on the other hand, rely solely on the minimum number of evolutionary changes required to explain the observed data, which may not necessarily reflect the true evolutionary history.

Question 2

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to figure below. 
-Which synapomorphy unites the salamander and the lizard?
A) Feathers
B) A gizzard
C) Keratinous scales
D) Claws or nails
E) None of the above

Accepted Answer

Salamanders and lizards do not share any of the listed synapomorphies. Salamanders are amphibians and do not have keratinous scales or claws/nails like lizards, which are reptiles.

Question 3

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to figure below. 
-The position of which pair of taxa could be reversed without changing the meaning of the tree?
A) Crocodile and pigeon
B) Crocodile and lizard
C) Mouse and pigeon
D) Mouse and crocodile
E) Chimpanzee and pigeon

Accepted Answer

In a phylogenetic tree, taxa that share a common ancestor can be swapped without altering the tree's meaning. Crocodiles and pigeons can be reversed because they both share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with the other taxa.

Question 4

Which trait would be least useful in a phylogenetic analysis?
A) A trait that is altered easily by small changes in temperature
B) A trait that involves genetically inherited behaviors
C) A trait that is detectible early in development
D) A trait that can be studied in museum specimens
E) A trait that is encoded by mitochondrial DNA

Accepted Answer

Traits that are easily altered by environmental factors, such as temperature, are less reliable for phylogenetic analysis because they may not accurately reflect evolutionary relationships.

Question 5

According to the principle of parsimony,the best phylogenetic hypothesis is the one that requires the
A) fewest homoplasies.
B) most homoplasies.
C) fewest homologies.
D) most clades.
E) fewest clades.

Accepted Answer

The principle of parsimony, also known as Occam's Razor, states that the simplest explanation that fits the data is the best, and this applies to constructing phylogenetic trees as well. Therefore, the best phylogenetic hypothesis is the one that requires the fewest homoplasies (convergent evolution, parallel evolution, or evolutionary reversal) because these represent independent evolutionary changes that complicate the tree and increase its complexity without providing informative evidence about the evolutionary relationships among taxa. Homologies (shared ancestral features) are the informative evidence that helps reconstruct the tree, but homoplasies can mislead the inference. Thus, minimizing homoplasies maximizes the probability of a correct and informative phylogenetic hypothesis.

Question 6

Species A and species B have long wings,whereas species C has short wings.Which piece of evidence would best support the hypothesis that long wings are a synapomorphy?
A) Fossil evidence showing that the common ancestor of species A,B,and C had short wings and evidence that species A and B are sister species
B) Fossil evidence showing that the common ancestor of species A,B,and C had long wings and evidence that species A and B are sister species
C) DNA evidence showing that species A and C are sister species
D) DNA evidence showing that species B and C are sister species
E) Evidence showing that species A and B live in an environment that favors long wings,whereas species C lives in an environment that favors short wings

Accepted Answer

If the common ancestor had short wings and species A and B are sister species, it suggests that long wings evolved in their lineage, supporting the idea that long wings are a synapomorphy for species A and B.

Question 7

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to figure below. 
-Which synapomorphy unites the pigeon and the lizard?
A) Feathers
B) A gizzard
C) Fur
D) Keratinous scales
E) Mammary glands

Accepted Answer

Both pigeons and lizards possess keratinous scales, which is a synapomorphy (shared derived characteristic) that unites them. Feathers (A) are a synapomorphy unique to birds, fur (C) to mammals, and mammary glands (E) to mammals as well. A gizzard (B) is found in some birds and aids in digestion, but it is not a shared characteristic between pigeons and lizards. Therefore, the best choice is D.

Question 8

Four different phylogenetic trees of a group of salamanders have been proposed.Trees A and B each require 12 homoplasies,but tree A requires 14 synapomorphies and tree B requires 13 synapomorphies.Tree C requires 15 homoplasies and 13 synapomorphies.Finally,tree D requires 10 homoplasies and 15 synapomorphies.According to the principle of parsimony,which tree (or trees)is the best?
A) Tree A
B) Tree B
C) Tree C
D) Tree D
E) Both tree A and tree B

Accepted Answer

According to the principle of parsimony, the best tree is the one that requires the fewest number of homoplasies and synapomorphies. Tree D requires the fewest homoplasies (10) and the highest number of synapomorphies (15), making it the best choice. Trees A and B require the same number of homoplasies but fewer synapomorphies than Tree D, and Tree C requires the highest number of homoplasies but the same number of synapomorphies as Tree B. Therefore, Tree D is the best choice.

Question 9

Use the following to answer questions :
Consider five species of toads.Species A and B are sister species.Species C and D are also sister species.The clade containing species A and B is sister to the clade containing species C and D.Species E is sister to the clade containing A,B,C,and D.
-How many additional nodes would be found in a phylogenetic tree of species A,B,C,D,and E?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 5
E) None

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions :
Consider...

Question 10

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for phylogenetic analysis
A) in the study of relatively ancient relationships.
B) for groups with few species that have survived to the present.
C) of closely related species of animals.
D) of prokaryotes.
E) when one is tracking the paternal lineage.

Accepted Answer

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for phylogenetic analysis of closely related species of animals because it evolves relatively quickly and is inherited maternally, providing a clear lineage.

Question 11

Histone genes,which evolve very slowly,would most likely be used to study relationships
A) among very similar species.
B) within the same genera.
C) among extinct organisms.
D) among phyla of animals.
E) among species of apes.

Accepted Answer

Histone genes evolve slowly, making them suitable for studying deep evolutionary relationships, such as those among different phyla, where changes accumulate over long periods.

Question 12

Some species in a hypothetical family of beetles are winged,and others are wingless.Which of the following would be most useful in determining whether having wings or being wingless was the ancestral trait?
A) Homoplasies
B) Homologies
C) An outgroup
D) An ingroup
E) Maximum likelihood methods

Accepted Answer

An outgroup is a taxon that is closely related to the ingroup but branched off from it early in the evolutionary history. By comparing the traits of the outgroup to those of the ingroup, we can infer which traits were present in the ancestral population and which traits evolved later. Therefore, by studying an outgroup, we can determine whether having wings or being wingless was the ancestral trait in the family of beetles.

Question 13

Which process cannot result in homoplasy?
A) Convergent evolution
B) Evolutionary reversals
C) Descent from a common ancestor
D) Similar selection pressures
E) All of the above can result in homoplasy.

Accepted Answer

Descent from a common ancestor results in homology, not homoplasy. Homology refers to traits that are similar due to shared ancestry, while homoplasy refers to traits that are similar due to convergent evolution or evolutionary reversals. Therefore, choice C cannot result in homoplasy.

Question 14

Which finding led to the conclusion that sea squirts are more closely related to vertebrates than scientists had previously thought?
A) Data from CT scans
B) The finding that larvae have notochords
C) The discovery of behavioral similarities in sea squirts and vertebrates
D) Newly discovered fossils in China
E) The development of maximum likelihood methods

Accepted Answer

The finding that sea squirt larvae have notochords, a defining characteristic of chordates, led scientists to conclude that sea squirts are more closely related to vertebrates than previously thought. This evidence suggests that sea squirts and vertebrates share a common ancestor.

Question 15

Members of genus X,a hypothetical taxon of invertebrates,have antennae with a variable number of segments.Species A and B have 10 segments;species C and D have 9 segments;species E has 8 segments;and species F has 7 segments.In all other genera in this family (including genus Y,the sister genus of genus X),all species have antennae with 10 segments.Which character state most likely is a synapomorphy that would be useful for determining evolutionary relationships within genus X?
A) 10-segment antennae in species A and B
B) 10-segment antennae in genus Y and in two species of genus X
C) Antennae with fewer than 10 segments in species C,D,E,and F
D) 8-segment antennae in species E
E) 7-segment antennae in species F

Accepted Answer

Antennae with fewer than 10 segments in species C, D, E, and F is a derived character state (synapomorphy) that distinguishes these species from those with the ancestral state of 10 segments, thus useful for determining evolutionary relationships within genus X.

Question 16

Use the following to answer questions :
Consider five species of toads.Species A and B are sister species.Species C and D are also sister species.The clade containing species A and B is sister to the clade containing species C and D.Species E is sister to the clade containing A,B,C,and D.
-Not counting the root as a node,how many nodes would be found in a phylogenetic tree containing just species A,B,C,and D?
A) 1
B) 2
C) 3
D) 4
E) 5

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions :
Consider...

Question 17

Information about _______ behavior would be least useful in reconstructing phylogenies.
A) inherited
B) locomotion
C) foraging
D) learned
E) mating

Accepted Answer

Learned behavior is acquired during an organism's lifetime and is not genetically passed down, making it less reliable in reconstructing phylogenies. Inherited traits, such as morphology and molecular sequences, are more useful in determining evolutionary relationships. Locomotion, foraging, and mating behaviors can also provide important information about an organism's ecological niche and potential evolutionary relationships.

Question 18

Repetitive DNA sequences usually evolve very quickly.Based on this fact,molecules that have a rapid mutation rate are used to study relationships among
A) organisms that diverged long ago.
B) all organisms.
C) extinct organisms.
D) phyla of animals.
E) very closely related species.

Accepted Answer

Rapidly evolving molecules, such as repetitive DNA sequences, are most useful for studying relationships among very closely related species where differences in the sequences can be used to distinguish between them.

Question 19

Use the following to answer questions :
Consider five species of toads.Species A and B are sister species.Species C and D are also sister species.The clade containing species A and B is sister to the clade containing species C and D.Species E is sister to the clade containing A,B,C,and D.
-Which species is most likely to share synapomorphies with species C?
A) Species A
B) Species B
C) Species D
D) Species E
E) All of the above are equally likely to share synapomorphies with species C.

Accepted Answer

Species D is the sister species to species C, meaning they share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with the other species, making them most likely to share synapomorphies.

Question 20

Use the following to answer questions :
Consider five species of toads.Species A and B are sister species.Species C and D are also sister species.The clade containing species A and B is sister to the clade containing species C and D.Species E is sister to the clade containing A,B,C,and D.
-Which species is most likely to share synapomorphies with species E?
A) Species A
B) Species B
C) Species C
D) Species D
E) All of the above are equally likely to share synapomorphies with species E.

Accepted Answer

Since species E is the sister to the clade containing A, B, C, and D, it is equally likely to share synapomorphies with all four of these species.

Quiz 16: Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

What is a major advantage of maximum likelihood methods as compared with parsimony methods?

Use the following to answer questions : Refer to figure below. -Which synapomorphy unites the salamander and the lizard?

Use the following to answer questions : Refer to figure below. -The position of which pair of taxa could be reversed without changing the meaning of the tree?

Which trait would be least useful in a phylogenetic analysis?

According to the principle of parsimony,the best phylogenetic hypothesis is the one that requires the

Species A and species B have long wings,whereas species C has short wings.Which piece of evidence would best support the hypothesis that long wings are a synapomorphy?

Use the following to answer questions : Refer to figure below. -Which synapomorphy unites the pigeon and the lizard?

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for phylogenetic analysis

Histone genes,which evolve very slowly,would most likely be used to study relationships

Some species in a hypothetical family of beetles are winged,and others are wingless.Which of the following would be most useful in determining whether having wings or being wingless was the ancestral trait?

Which process cannot result in homoplasy?

Which finding led to the conclusion that sea squirts are more closely related to vertebrates than scientists had previously thought?

Information about _______ behavior would be least useful in reconstructing phylogenies.

Repetitive DNA sequences usually evolve very quickly.Based on this fact,molecules that have a rapid mutation rate are used to study relationships among