Deck 4: The Tree of Life: How Biologists Use Phylogeny to Reconstruct the Deep Past

Question 1

Which of the following is not a tetrapod?

A) Physeter macrocephalus, a sperm whale
B) boa constrictor
C) Tiktaalik
D) Gallus gallus domesticus, a chicken

Answer 1

C

Question 2

You are constructing a phylogeny of a hypothetical group of insects. Several of the species have a pattern of four veins on the forewing while another group of species has a pattern of six veins. The three outgroups in your analysis all have a pattern of six veins. From this you can conclude that

A) the trait of having six veins is a synapomorphy.
B) the species with six veins are more closely related to each other than they are to the any of the species with four veins.
C) the trait of having four veins is a synapomorphy.
D) a and b
E) b and c

Answer 2

C

Question 3

The closest living relatives of tetrapod include

A) coelacanths.
B) lungfishes.
C) telosts.
D) a and b
E) all of the above

Answer 3

D

Question 4

It is possible that the middle ear fully separated from the lower jaw at least twice within the mammalian lineage. Evidence of this convergent evolution comes from

A) a new fossil of a monotreme-like mammal with the bones of its middle ear still connected to its lower jaw.
B) a new fossil of a therian-like mammal with the bones of its middle ear still connected to its lower jaw.
C) a new fossil of a monotreme-like mammal with the bones of its middle ear fully separated from its lower jaw.
D) There is no evidence; the mammalian middle ear could only have evolved once.

Question 5

Given the following tree, which tree below is incorrect? ​ ​

A) (a)
B) (b)
C) (c)
D) (d)

Question 6

Given the tree below, which of the following statements is correct? ​

A) A fish is more closely related to a frog than it is to a bird.
B) The dog evolved before the turtle.
C) A frog is the most recent ancestor of a dog.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 7

Which of the following is true of the most recent common ancestor of two currently living species?

A) It may still be alive.
B) One of the two species can be more closely related to the common ancestor.
C) One of the two species may morphologically resemble the common ancestor more than the other.
D) all of the above

Question 8

How long ago did the common ancestor of living mammals diverge from other synapsids?

A) 320 million years ago
B) 200 million years ago
C) 170 million years ago
D) 65.5 million years ago

Question 9

Only a few species of garter snakes (Thamnophis atratus, Th. couchii, and Th. sirtalis) have evolved the ability to tolerate a toxin produced by newts called tetrodotoxin (TTX). The phylogeny below shows how these three species are related. Referring specifically to Th. couchii and Th. sirtalis, tolerance to TTX is an example of a ______ caused by _______.

A) reversal; homology
B) homology; convergent evolution
C) homoplasious trait; convergent evolution
D) homoplasious trait; homology
E) ancestral homology; natural selection

Question 10

The phylogeny below shows relationships between birds and four different dinosaur genera. Based on the logic of phylogenetic systematics, which of the following statement(s) is/are accurate?

A) Dinosaurs and birds form a monophyletic group.
B) In order for dinosaurs to be a valid taxon, birds must also be called dinosaurs.
C) Dinosaurs are a paraphyletic group.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 11

Comparing the two phylogenies below, we can conclude that

A) therians are more derived than platypuses.
B) platypuses are the ancestor of therians.
C) therians are more primitive than platypuses.
D) the two phylogenies show the same evolutionary relationship.

Question 12

Birds belong to a group of dinosaurs called the therapods, which also includes

A) Tyrannosaurus.
B) Stegosaurus.
C) Triceratops.
D) Pterodactylus.

Question 13

Which of the following is not an example of a homology?

A) a human foot and an orangutan foot
B) mammalian ear bones and synapsid jaw bones
C) an albatross wing and a bat wing
D) a dragonfly wing and a bat wing

Question 14

Referring to the phylogenetic trees below which statement(s) is/are correct?

A) Tree A proposes that the camera eye of mollusks and vertebrates is homologous; tree B proposes that the camera eye of mollusks and vertebrates arose through convergent evolution.
B) Tree B proposes that the camera eye of mollusks and vertebrates is homologous; tree A proposes that the camera eye of mollusks and vertebrates arose through convergent evolution.
C) Tree B is more parsimonious.
D) a and c
E) b and c

Question 15

In the tree below, assume that the ancestor was an herb (not a tree) without leaves or seeds. Which currently existing species has/have this same combination of traits?

A) fern
B) Psilotum
C) clubmoss
D) a and c
E) b and c

Question 16

A trait that may be co-opted for a new function, such as bird feathers, is called a(n)

A) adaptation.
B) complex adaptation.
C) exaptation.
D) polytomy.

Question 17

Which of the following correctly matches the extinct lobe-fin species with its morphological feature?

A) Tiktaalik-wrist bones
B) Eusthenopteron-stout bone extending from shoulder girdle
C) Tiktaalik-neck
D) b and c
E) all of the above

Question 18

Trap jaw ants have modified mandibles that function like a bear trap-when a potential prey item triggers the jaw, it snaps shut with amazing speed (up to 145 mph). The groups highlighted in the phylogeny below include species that have evolved trap jaws. With reference to this tree it appears that

A) the trap jaw could be a homologous trait for Formicinae and Ponerinae.
B) the trap jaw is homoplasious (analogous) for Myrmicinae and Ponerinae.
C) the trap jaw is homoplasious (analogous) for Odontomachus and Myrmoteras.
D) a and c
E) b and c

Question 19

What is the path of sound in the human middle ear?

A) tympanic ring - eardrum - stapes - malleus - incus
B) tympanic ring - malleus - eardrum - stapes - incus
C) tympanic ring - eardrum - malleus - incus - stapes
D) stapes - incus - malleus - tympanic ring - eardrum

Question 20

Given the tree below, the similar body shape of ichthyosaurs and dolphins is best described as

A) an example of convergent evolution.
B) a homoplasious trait.
C) an analogous trait.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 21

Referring to the tree below, which is an accurate statement about relationships?

A) A gorilla is more closely related to a human than it is to an orangutan.
B) A gorilla is more closely related to an orangutan than a human.
C) A gorilla is equally related to a human and an orangutan.
D) An orangutan is related to chimpanzees and orangutans but not humans.

Question 22

Based on information provided in the tree below, which of the following statement(s) is/are accurate?

A) The frog, dog, turtle, and lizard form a monophyletic group.
B) The fish is the ancestor of the rest of the species in the tree.
C) Frogs are older than birds.
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 23

In the tree below, assume that the ancestor was an herb (not a tree) without leaves or seeds. Given this, the evolution of a tree habit in Lepidodendron, oak, and yew

A) is an example of convergent evolution between Lepidodendron and the oak-yew clade.
B) is an example of convergent evolution between oak and yew.
C) is a homologous trait for oak and yew.
D) a and c
E) b and c

Question 24

Considering the logic of phylogenetic systematics, which of the following statements is/are true?

A) As depicted above the tree, the term anthropoids is a valid taxonomic group.
B) Monkeys is not a valid taxonomic group.
C) Monkeys would be a valid taxonomic group if it also included tarsiers.
D) a and b
E) a and c

Question 25

Male pipefish have a brood pouch in which they carry and protect developing embryos. The gene patristacin plays a major role in the formation and function of the pouch. An evolutionary analysis revealed that patristacin is involved in liver and kidney function in all other fish (other male fish do not produce a brood pouch). This provides an example of

A) co-option.
B) irreducible complexity.
C) group selection.
D) trade-offs.

Question 26

Explain the difference between phylogeny and taxonomy. Be sure to differentiate between monophyletic, paraphyetic and polyphyletic groups in your answer.

Question 27

Given the tree below, which statement(s) is/are correct?

A) The lineage leading to modern-day lemurs is older than the lineage leading to modern-day humans.
B) The monkeys form a monophyletic group.
C) a and b
D) none of the above

Question 28

Explain the evolution of tetrapods; a complete answer should include reference to extant and extinct species.

Question 29

Which of the following incorrectly matches the species with its date in the fossil record?

A) Eusthenopteron-385 million years ago
B) Acanthostega-365 million years ago
C) Tiktaalik-375 million years ago
D) Coelacanth-605 million years ago

Question 30

What might early theropods have used feathers for?

A) to attract mates
B) to protect their nests
C) to fly
D) a and b
E) a, b, and c

Question 31

Which of the following is a shared ancestral trait that platypuses share with other mammals?

A) teats
B) mammary glands
C) venom
D) a and b
E) none of the above

Question 32

You are using maximum parsimony to determine the relationships among six species (A, B, C, D, E, and F). You examine eight different traits for the six species and an outgroup. Below you will find the data matrix. (a) Which traits are not useful for distinguishing relationships among species A, B, C, D, E, and F?
(b) Given below are two possible tree topologies for these species. Based on the principle of maximum parsimony, circle the tree that most likely represents the true relationships among these species. Please show your work (that is, map the traits with tick marks onto each tree, and beside each tick mark give the number of the trait). Please include all traits, even those you determined were not useful in part (a).

Question 33

What does Archaeopteryx share with dinosaurs that modern birds lack?

A) teeth on its beak
B) claws on its wings
C) a long reptilian tail
D) all of the above
E) none of the above

Question 34

Explain how the discovery of fossil F in (B) constrains the timing of the phylogeny in (A). Compare the timing of the phylogeny in (B) to those in (C) and (D).

Question 35

If species A and B are more closely related to each other than either is to species C, then species A and B must

A) share a more recent common ancestor.
B) be more similar physically overall.
C) share more derived homologies (synapomorphies).
D) a and c
E) a, b, and c

Question 36

You are having coffee with a couple of friends. One says, "I saw a beautiful dinosaur in my yard this morning." The other one says, "You're crazy, you couldn't have seen a dinosaur!" Use the phylogeny below, which includes birds and four different dinosaur genera, and the logic of phylogenetic systematics to argue that maybe your first friend isn't so crazy after all.

Question 37

The following phylogeny shows that

A) lobe-finned fish form a monophyletic clade.
B) tetrapods form a monophyletic clade.
C) ray-finned fish form a paraphyletic clade.
D) none of the above
E) all of the above

Question 38

The phylogeny of tetrapods and reveals that

A) wrist bones emerged after the tetrapod lineage appeared in the fossil record.
B) the common ancestor of tetrapods and lobe-finned fish had stout, paddle-shaped fins.
C) when digits first emerged, every species had five or less.
D) none of the above

Question 39

Given the following tree, which tree below is incorrect? ​ ​

A) (a)
B) (b)
C) (c)
D) (d)

Question 40

How does the fossil record provide evidence that the use of feathers for flight by birds is an exaptation?

Question 41

Compare a genealogical tree with a phylogenetic tree. Use a drawing to help explain your answer.

Question 42

Describe the evolution of the mammalian middle ear and hypothesize on the selective pressures that may have driven its change.