Exam 22: Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies

Which of the following traits is likely to be unsuitable for phylogenetic analysis?

If two scientific names are proposed for the same species, how do taxonomists decide which name should be used?

According to the diagram below, which of the three phylogenetic trees of the Drosophila species is different from the other two?

Below is a list of several species names. Which of these is not spelled or written correctly?

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. In all other genera in this family (including genus Y), all species have antennae with 10 segments. Which of the following character states is a synapomorphy that would be useful for determining evolutionary relationships within genus X?

The most important attribute of a biological classification scheme is that it

A group that consists of all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor is called

The evolutionary relationship among organisms is known as

To make inferences about the vision of the ancestor of birds, dinosaurs, and crocodiles, biologists have used phylogenetic methods to reconstruct a pigment called _______, which was involved in the ancestor's vision.

Phylogenetic trees

Use the following to answer questions : Refer to the diagram below. -Which of the taxa in the diagram are monophyletic?

The wasp genus Nasonia contains all of the descendants of the common ancestor of its members. This genus therefore would be called

In addition to the practice described above, biologists reconstructing phylogenies have also employed _______ methods, which make use of a mathematical model of evolutionary change.

Which of the following is the most significant limitation of fossils as a source of information about evolutionary history?

A _______ is any group of organisms we name, whereas a _______ is a _______ that consists of all the evolutionary descendents of a common ancestor.

A taxon that contains organisms that do not share a common ancestor is called

Flies have only a single pair of functional wings, but their ancestors had two pair of wings. Thus, having two pairs of wings is a(n) _______ trait.

Which of the following statements is true?

Shared derived traits are also known as

Modern horses have a single toe on each foot, although their ancestors had feet with several digits. The single toe is thus a(n) _______ trait.