Question 1

A derived character that is shared by all members of a clade is called a ______________ of that clade.

Accepted Answer

synapomorphy

Question 2

Based on the phylogeny shown, the group of species including (2-5) can best be described as a

Accepted Answer

A clade is a group of organisms that includes a single common ancestor and all its descendants. If species 2-5 share a common ancestor and include all its descendants, they form a clade.

Question 3

The biological specialty that deals with the reconstruction and study of phylogenies is called _________.

Accepted Answer

systematics

Question 4

Saber teeth found in different groups of extinct carnivorous mammals are considered ___________ structures, as the fossil record shows that saber teeth evolved independently among the groups.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Saber teeth found in different groups of...

Question 5

The principle of ______________ favors the hypothesis that requires the fewest assumptions.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The principle of ______________ favors the hypothesis...

Question 6

The behavior of parental care exhibited by dinosaurs is thought to be __________ to this behavior in crocodiles and birds because phylogeny shows that these three groups share a common ancestor.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The behavior of parental care exhibited by...

Question 7

One day after a biology class four of your friends argue about the difference between phylogeny and systematics.Which friend is right?

Accepted Answer

Systematics is indeed the broader scientific discipline that encompasses the reconstruction and study of phylogenies, which are the evolutionary histories and relationships among species or groups of species.

Question 8

A ______________ group does not contain the most recent common ancestor.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A ______________ group does not contain the...

Question 9

The table shows the distribution of traits (A-E) in six extant species (1-6).A "0" indicates the ancestral condition, while "1" indicates the derived condition.Which trait is least informative of phylogenetic relationships within the group?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The table shows the distribution of traits...

Question 10

A ______________ group consists of the most recent common ancestor and some of its descendants.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A ______________ group consists of the most...

Question 11

The study and reconstruction of phylogenies is

Accepted Answer

Systematics is the study and reconstruction of phylogenies, which are diagrams that represent the evolutionary relationships between different groups of organisms.

Question 12

Based on the phylogeny shown, we can conclude that species 2 is most closely related to species

Accepted Answer

Species 2 is most closely related to species 3 because they share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with any of the other species listed.

Question 13

Derived character states shared by clade members are called

Accepted Answer

Synapomorphies are derived character states shared by members of a clade, indicating a common ancestry.

Question 14

Based on the phylogeny shown, the outgroup would be species

Accepted Answer

The outgroup is the species that is most distantly related to the other species in the phylogeny. In this case, species 1 is the most distantly related, so it is the outgroup.

Question 15

Characteristics between the branch points of a cladogram that are shared by all organisms above the branch point and are not present in any below it are called

Accepted Answer

Derived characters are traits that are present in all organisms above a branch point in a cladogram and absent in those below it, indicating evolutionary changes.

Question 16

The following are steps used to construct a cladogram that best reflects the evolutionary relationships of a group of species.Which step involves deciding which tree is most likely to have occurred, based on the fewest character state changes?

Accepted Answer

The principle of parsimony involves selecting the tree with the fewest character state changes, reflecting the simplest evolutionary pathway.

Question 17

A ______________ group consists of the most recent common ancestor and all of its descendants.

Accepted Answer

The answer of A ______________ group consists of the most...

Question 18

Choose the true statement about the morphological data in the chart shown below.The "1" in the box means the trait is present and the "0" indicates that the trait is absent.(Note: All of the characteristics across the top of the columns are considered "TRAITS" for purposes of reading the chart.).

Accepted Answer

The answer of Choose the true statement about the morphological...

Question 19

Evidence suggests that the crocodiles are more closely related to the birds than the turtles and snakes.If so, then including crocodiles, but not birds, in the Class Reptilia would make the Class Reptilia

Accepted Answer

A paraphyletic group includes a common ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants. Excluding birds from Reptilia, despite their close relation to crocodiles, makes Reptilia paraphyletic.

Question 20

Birds, snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles are all thought to share a common ancestor and several homologous traits.Assuming that this is true, these groups of animals and their common ancestor would represent

Accepted Answer

A monophyletic group includes an ancestor and all of its descendants, which is the case for birds, snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles sharing a common ancestor.

Quiz 23: Systematics, Phylogenies, and Comparative Biology