Exam 26: Phylogeny and the Tree of Life

From the above figure,what is true of Dryopithecus and Ouranopithecus? 1)They were great apes. 2)They shared a common ancestor more recently with the orangutans than with the other great apes. 3)They appear to be part of a polytomy. 4)Their closest common ancestor with all of the extant great apes is the one they share with the orangutans. 5)They were about as different from each other genetically as humans are different from chimps.

Which mutation should least require realignment of homologous regions of a gene that is common to several related species?

The common ancestors of birds and mammals were very early (stem)reptiles,which almost certainly possessed three-chambered hearts (two atria,one ventricle).Birds and mammals,however,are alike in having four-chambered hearts (two atria,two ventricles).The four-chambered hearts of birds and mammals are best described as

Some molecular data place the giant panda in the bear family (Ursidae)but place the lesser panda in the raccoon family (Procyonidae).Consequently,the morphological similarities of these two species are probably due to

The following questions refer to the description below. You are taking an art class and your instructor asks you to draw several animals,including a shark,a dolphin,and a penguin.As you draw these animals you notice that they all have a fusiform shape; in other words,they are tapered at both ends.Despite their similar shape,you are well aware that the shark is a fish,the dolphin is a mammal,and the penguin is a bird. -What is the best explanation for the similarities and differences in these three species?

Which of these four gene parts should allow the construction of the most accurate phylogenetic tree,assuming that this is the only part of the gene that has acted as a reliable molecular clock?

The importance of computers and of computer software to modern cladistics is most closely linked to advances in

A phylogenetic tree constructed using sequence differences in mitochondrial DNA would be most valid for discerning the evolutionary relatedness of

The various taxonomic levels (namely,genera,classes,etc.)of the hierarchical classification system differ from each other on the basis of

What kind of evidence has recently made it necessary to assign the prokaryotes to either of two different domains,rather than assigning all prokaryotes to the same kingdom?

The following questions refer to this phylogenetic tree,depicting the origins of life and of the three domains.Horizontal lines indicate instances of gene or genome transfer. A possible phylogenetic tree for the three domains of life. -Which portion of the above figure may ultimately be better depicted as a "ring"?

Paralogous genes that have lost the function of coding for any functional gene product are known as "pseudogenes." Which of these is a valid prediction regarding the fate of pseudogenes over evolutionary time?

Which kind of DNA should provide the best molecular clock for determining the evolutionary relatedness of several species whose common ancestor became extinct billions of years ago?

Use the following information to answer the questions below. Traditionally,zoologists have placed birds in their own class,Aves.More recently,molecular evidence has shown that birds are more closely related to reptiles than their anatomy reveals.Genetically,birds are more closely related to crocodiles than crocodiles are to turtles.Bird anatomy has become highly modified as birds have adapted to flight,without their genes having undergone nearly as much change. -Taxonomically,what should be done with the birds?

Which of the following is (are)problematic when the goal is to construct phylogenies that accurately reflect evolutionary history?

The lakes of northern Minnesota are home to many similar species of damselflies of the genus Enallagma that have apparently undergone speciation from ancestral stock since the last glacial retreat about 10 000 years ago.Sequencing which of the following would probably be most useful in sorting out evolutionary relationships among these closely related species?

The legless condition that is observed in several groups of extant reptiles is the result of

The following questions refer to this phylogenetic tree,depicting the origins of life and of the three domains.Horizontal lines indicate instances of gene or genome transfer. A possible phylogenetic tree for the three domains of life. -Which of these processes can be included among those responsible for the horizontal components of the above figure?

Use the following information to answer the questions below. Traditionally,zoologists have placed birds in their own class,Aves.More recently,molecular evidence has shown that birds are more closely related to reptiles than their anatomy reveals.Genetically,birds are more closely related to crocodiles than crocodiles are to turtles.Bird anatomy has become highly modified as birds have adapted to flight,without their genes having undergone nearly as much change. -For a proponent of PhyloCode classification,what is true of the reptile clade if birds are not included in it?

To apply parsimony to constructing a phylogenetic tree