Question 1

Which kind of data would likely be the most useful for distinguishing ancestral traits from derived ones?
A) Developmental
B) Behavioral
C) Paleontological
D) Morphological
E) Molecular

Accepted Answer

Paleontological data, which includes fossil records, is crucial for distinguishing ancestral traits from derived ones as it provides direct evidence of the physical characteristics of ancient organisms.

Question 2

In the case in which phylogenetic analysis of HIV was used to convict a physician of purposely injecting blood from his HIV-positive patient into his former girlfriend, the victim's HIV sequences were _______ and the patient's HIV sequences were _______.
A) monophyletic; monophyletic
B) monophyletic; paraphyletic
C) monophyletic; polyphyletic
D) paraphyletic; monophyletic
E) paraphyletic; paraphyletic

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the case in which phylogenetic analysis...

Question 3

Which is a property of HIV that would make it difficult to trace the source of the virus from one person to the next?
A) The host can have a genetically diverse population of viruses.
B) HIV evolves very slowly within the host.
C) The transmission of the virus involves very few (often just one) viral particles.
D) Molecular phylogenies of viruses cannot be constructed.
E) The population of HIV is too small to trace.

Accepted Answer

HIV has a high mutation rate, leading to a genetically diverse population within a host, making it difficult to trace the virus's source.

Question 4

Histone genes, which evolve very slowly, would most likely be used to study relationships
A) among very similar species.
B) within the same genus.
C) among organisms that live in the same locality.
D) relationships among prokaryotic organisms that diverged recently.
E) between different phyla.

Accepted Answer

Histone genes, which evolve very slowly, are most suitable for studying relationships between different phyla because the slow rate of evolution allows for the detection of similarities and differences that occurred over long periods of time, making it possible to trace back the evolutionary relationships between widely divergent groups.

Question 5

Which factor is not a limitation of the use of morphology in phylogenetic analysis?
A) Some morphological variation has a genetic basis.
B) Few morphological traits can be directly compared across distant taxa.
C) Some taxa exhibit little morphological diversity.
D) Temperature changes can affect morphology.
E) Nutritional differences during development can affect morphology.

Accepted Answer

Morphological variation having a genetic basis is not a limitation but rather a fundamental aspect of using morphology in phylogenetic analysis, as it reflects evolutionary changes. Limitations typically involve factors that obscure or complicate the interpretation of these morphological changes, such as environmental influences (D, E) or the difficulty in comparing traits across vastly different organisms (B, C).

Question 6

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for phylogenetic analysis
A) in the study of relatively ancient relationships.
B) in groups with few species that have survived to the present.
C) of closely related animal (but not plant) species.
D) of prokaryotes.
E) of paternal inheritance.

Accepted Answer

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for studying closely related animal species because it evolves relatively quickly and is inherited maternally, allowing for the tracking of lineage and evolutionary relationships within and between species. It is not as useful for ancient relationships, prokaryotes (which lack mitochondria), or paternal inheritance patterns.

Question 7

A major disadvantage of maximum likelihood methods is that they
A) are difficult to fit into a statistical framework.
B) require explicit models of evolutionary change.
C) can be used only on molecular data.
D) can be used only for closely related species.
E) can only be used on morphological data.

Accepted Answer

Maximum likelihood methods require explicit models of evolutionary change, which can be a major disadvantage as determining the most appropriate model can be challenging and the results may be sensitive to model assumptions.

Question 8

In the case where phylogenetic analysis of HIV was used to convict a physician of purposely injecting blood from his HIV-positive patient into his former girlfriend, which would be evidence that would most likely exonerate the physician?
A) The victim's HIV sequences were a subset of the patient's HIV sequences.
B) The victim's HIV sequences formed a clade.
C) The victim's HIV sequences were a subset of sequences from another HIV-positive individual from the community.
D) The patient's HIV sequences were a subset of sequences from another HIV-positive individual from the community.
E) The patient's HIV sequences were sister to the victim's sequences.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In the case where phylogenetic analysis of...

Question 9

A skeptic argues that because phylogenetic methods can be flawed, the results from such methods are questionable.What result or analysis provides the best validation of the accuracy of the methods used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships?
A) Results from molecular data often match results from morphological data.
B) Advances in computational power allow for the use maximum likelihood methods.
C) Experimental studies using bacteriophage
D) The development of the molecular clock
E) The principle of parsimony

Accepted Answer

The answer of A skeptic argues that because phylogenetic methods...

Question 10

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 detectable in observations of early development
D) A trait that can be studied in museum specimens
E) A trait that corresponds directly with sequence differences in a single gene

Accepted Answer

A trait that is easily altered by small changes in temperature would not provide reliable information for a phylogenetic analysis because it could change frequently and rapidly, leading to inaccurate conclusions about evolutionary relationships.

Question 11

In a phylogenetic reconstruction experiment by Hillis et al., researchers used a viral culture, adding mutagens over the course of the experiment.This method _______ the accuracy of the reconstruction, because the mutagen _______ the amount of change and the degree of homoplasy that is typical of organisms measured in average phylogenetic analyses.
A) calls into question; increases
B) calls into question; decreases
C) calls into question; maintains
D) confirms; increases
E) confirms; maintains

Accepted Answer

The answer of In a phylogenetic reconstruction experiment by Hillis...

Question 12

Microsatellite DNA has a high mutation rate and thus evolves quickly.It would most likely be useful in determining phylogenetic relationships
A) in bacteria.
B) in fungi.
C) among closely related species.
D) among orders of insects.
E) in plants.

Accepted Answer

Microsatellite DNA is useful for determining phylogenetic relationships among closely related species because of the high mutation rate and rapid evolution. It is less useful for studying distant relationships or differences between orders of insects, fungi, or plants. While it can still be used in bacteria, there are other genetic markers that may be more relevant and informative for bacterial phylogenetics.

Question 13

In systematics and phylogeny, the fossil record is especially important because
A) most groups are well represented.
B) DNA can be extracted from nearly all ancient fossils and then analyzed.
C) random mutations make most biochemical methods unreliable.
D) it can provide the absolute timing of evolutionary events.
E) it provides the only data that are useful in reconstructing the past.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record is important in providing the absolute timing of evolutionary events, which is crucial in constructing phylogenetic trees and understanding the relationships between different groups of organisms. While the fossil record may not be complete or representative for all groups, it still provides valuable information on past life forms and their evolutionary history. DNA analysis is also important, but it is limited by the availability and preservation of DNA in fossils. Random mutations do occur, but biochemical methods are still useful in phylogenetic analysis with appropriate statistical methods. The fossil record is not the only source of data for reconstructing the past, but it is an important one.

Question 14

Epigenetic changes (such as changes in methylation state) be useful in phylogenetic analyses if they
A) are affected by temperatures the organism experiences.
B) are affected by the food consumed by the organism.
C) are inherited from parent to child.
D) are variable depending on the age of the organism.
E) can be altered by the microbiota.

Accepted Answer

Epigenetic changes that are inherited from parent to child can be used in phylogenetic analyses as they provide information about the evolutionary relationships between species. Changes that are influenced by environmental factors (options A, B, D, and E) may not accurately reflect genetic relationships between organisms.

Question 15

Biologists are interested in determining the phylogenetic relationships of a group of beetles.Information about which of the following types of behavior would be least useful in reconstructing phylogenies?
A) Inherited
B) Locomotion
C) Foraging
D) Learned
E) Mating

Accepted Answer

Learned behaviors are not inherited, and are therefore not useful in predicting evolutionary relationships. The other behaviors listed (inherited traits, locomotion, foraging, and mating) are all potentially informative in reconstructing phylogenies, as they may reflect common ancestry and evolutionary relationships.

Question 16

What is the primary limitation of the use of fossil data in phylogenetic studies?
A) Fossil data cannot be used to determine whether a trait is ancestral or derived.
B) The fossil record is missing or fragmentary for many groups of organisms.
C) The fossil record cannot tell us what organisms looked like in the past.
D) Only DNA data is useful in phylogenetic analysis.
E) The fossil record does not provide information about when groups diverged from one another.

Accepted Answer

The fossil record is incomplete and missing for many groups of organisms, making it challenging to construct a complete and accurate phylogenetic tree.

Question 17

Studies testing the creation of phylogenies of bacteriophage T7 showed that
A) phylogenetic methods accurately reconstruct the evolutionary history of bacteriophage T7.
B) phylogenetic methods perform poorly in reconstructing evolutionary history.
C) the molecular clock is invalid.
D) phylogenetic methods require DNA sequencing of all viral plaques at the nodes.
E) an outgroup lineage could not be created.

Accepted Answer

Studies testing the creation of phylogenies of bacteriophage T7 have shown that phylogenetic methods accurately reconstruct the evolutionary history of bacteriophage T7.

Question 18

Which statement concerning the use of mathematical models such as maximum likelihood methods is false?
A) They identify the tree that is most likely to have produced the observed data.
B) They are most often used with molecular data.
C) They incorporate more information than parsimony methods do.
D) They are easier to treat in a statistical framework than other models are.
E) They cannot account for transitions between purines and pyrimidines.

Accepted Answer

Mathematical models like maximum likelihood methods can indeed account for transitions between purines and pyrimidines, as well as other types of mutations. This capability is part of what allows these models to incorporate more information and provide a detailed understanding of evolutionary relationships based on molecular data.

Question 19

Refer to the figure.  The figure shows the phylogeny of three extant species of turtles.Species 1 and 2 have a particular bone structure, while species 3 does not.The most generally accepted opinion is that the structure evolved after species 1 and 2 diverged from species 3.Recently, some scientists have questioned this and suggested that the structure evolved before species 1, 2, and 3 diverged from the common ancestor and that the structure was lost in species 3.Two fossils (A and B) have been discovered.Which information from these fossils would best support the new claim that species 3 lost the structure?
A) Look at species A. If the structure is present there, the new claim is supported.
B) Look at species A. If the structure is absent there, the new claim is supported.
C) Look at species B. If the structure is present there, the new claim is supported.
D) Look at species B. If the structure is absent there, the new claim is supported.
E) Fossil data cannot be used to address this question.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Refer to the figure.  The figure...

Question 20

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

Accepted Answer

Repetitive DNA sequences evolve rapidly and can quickly differentiate even between very closely related species. Therefore, molecules with a rapid mutation rate are best suited to study relationships among very closely related species.

Quiz 21: Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Which kind of data would likely be the most useful for distinguishing ancestral traits from derived ones?

In the case in which phylogenetic analysis of HIV was used to convict a physician of purposely injecting blood from his HIV-positive patient into his former girlfriend, the victim's HIV sequences were _ and the patient's HIV sequences were _.

Which is a property of HIV that would make it difficult to trace the source of the virus from one person to the next?

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

Which factor is not a limitation of the use of morphology in phylogenetic analysis?

Mitochondrial DNA is most useful for phylogenetic analysis

A major disadvantage of maximum likelihood methods is that they

In the case where phylogenetic analysis of HIV was used to convict a physician of purposely injecting blood from his HIV-positive patient into his former girlfriend, which would be evidence that would most likely exonerate the physician?

A skeptic argues that because phylogenetic methods can be flawed, the results from such methods are questionable.What result or analysis provides the best validation of the accuracy of the methods used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships?

Which trait would be least useful in a phylogenetic analysis?

Microsatellite DNA has a high mutation rate and thus evolves quickly.It would most likely be useful in determining phylogenetic relationships

In systematics and phylogeny, the fossil record is especially important because

Epigenetic changes (such as changes in methylation state) be useful in phylogenetic analyses if they

Biologists are interested in determining the phylogenetic relationships of a group of beetles.Information about which of the following types of behavior would be least useful in reconstructing phylogenies?

What is the primary limitation of the use of fossil data in phylogenetic studies?

Studies testing the creation of phylogenies of bacteriophage T7 showed that

Which statement concerning the use of mathematical models such as maximum likelihood methods is false?

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