Pop. Gen. Chapter 4 Practice Exam – Flashcards

Every node in a phylogenetic tree represents a(n) ________. A) common ancestor B) extinction event C) transitional form D) sister species

In determining the evolutionary relationships of current species, one needs to ________. A) read along the tree tips: Species closer to each other are always more closely related B) read along the tree tips: Species shown at the tips are arranged in patterns reflecting which groups evolved from others C) read "back" to nodes connecting species to determine common ancestry D) None of the above is an accurate way to read phylogenetic trees.

Phylogenetic trees can always be regarded as ________ about evolutionary relationships. A) facts B) hypotheses C) guesses D) none of the above

A novel, derived character is also referred to as a(n) ________. A) apomorphy B) plesiomorphy C) synapomorphy D) clade

A preexisting, ancestral character is also known as a(n) ________. A) apomorphy B) plesiomorphy C) synapomorphy D) clade

8) A derived character that is shared among two or more lineages is also called a(n) ________. A) apomorphy B) plesiomorphy C) synapomorphy D) clade

An ancestor and all of its descendants are known as a monophyletic group or a(n) ________. A) apomorphy B) plesiomorphy C) synapomorphy D) clade

A phylogenetic tree grouping that consists of a common ancestor and all of its descendants is known as a ________ group. A) monophyletic B) paraphyletic C) polyphyletic D) polytomy

A group consisting of a common ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants is known as a ________ group. A) monophyletic B) paraphyletic C) polyphyletic D) polytomy

In constructing phylogenetic trees, it is useful to think of monophyletic groups as being defined by ________. A) apomorphies B) plesiomorphies C) synapomorphies D) clades

The wings of bats and birds and the streamlined body form of sharks and whales represent examples of ________. A) convergence B) reversal C) outgroups D) a clade

Estimating the uncertainty of phylogenetic trees using computer-generated replicates from an original data set is known as ________. A) a heuristic search B) the likelihood scenario C) Bayesian inference D) bootstrapping

In the case study involving the phylogeny of whales, ________. A) molecular data and fossil data are in conflict with each other B) molecular data confirmed what was already known from the fossil record: whales are cetaceans C) fossil discoveries confirmed what molecular data already suggested: whales are cetaceans D) both molecular and fossil data are inconclusive

Which of the following phylogeny inference tools is the best at reconstructing the most accurate phylogenetic trees? A) parsimony B) maximum likelihood C) Bayesian inference D) All of these methods have pros and cons.

The use of phylogenetic trees in answering questions about the spatial distribution of living things is called ________. A) biogeography B) phylogeography C) physiogeography D) polyphyletogeography

A ________ [two words] is the evolutionary history of an ancestral lineage and its descendants.

Two closely related species that share a recent common ancestor are called ________ species.

A(n) ________ [two words] is a novel feature that evolved in a lineage and may be unique to a species or shared among species.

________ evolution is the independent evolution of similar derived characters in different lineages.

Complications in constructing phylogenetic trees due to reversals and convergent evolution are known collectively as ________.

Analysis of neutral mutation rates to answer interesting questions such as "When did humans begin to wear clothes?" relies on the ________ [two words] hypothesis, which states that molecular traits change at a steady rate.