Bio Lab Midterm 1 Flashcards
Labs 1-4
extant
still living
extinction
the termination of an organism or of a group of organisms, usually a species
LUCA (2)
Last Universal Common Ancestor
- the most recent population of organisms from which all organisms now living on Earth have a common descent
- LUCA is the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth
taxonomy
scientific discipline concerned with naming and classifying groups of biological organisms
domain (2)
- the highest taxonomic rank of organisms in which there are three groupings: Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya
- most inclusive
kingdom
- a taxonomic category grouping together all forms of life having certain fundamental characteristics in common
- Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, protists, fungi, plants and animals
phylum (2)
- organisms in a phylum share a set a characteristics that distinguishes them from organisms in another phylum
- a major taxonomic division of living organisms that contain one or more classes
class
a classification of organisms that contain general common traits, such as having a backbone, eight legs, etc.
order
a taxonomic rank used in classifying organisms comprised of families sharing a set of similar nature or character
family
a taxonomic group of one or more genera, united by a common attribute
genus
any of the taxonomic groups into which a family is divided and which contains one or more species
species
an individual belonging to a group of organisms (or the entire group itself) having common characteristics and (usually) are capable of mating with one another to produce fertile offspring
taxonomic order
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monophyletic clades
where all branches converge on a common ancestor prior to joining other clades
paraphyletic group
exclude some descendants of the last common ancestor of the group
polyphyletic group
do not converge on a common ancestor prior to joining other groups, but often share morphological similarities
character
anatomical, physiological, or molecular feature found in an organism
ancestral character
trait originally present in the ancestor of a given group
(shared) derived character
features in organisms that have been modified for specific functions as a result of evolution
amniota
mammals and reptiles
homologous characters
shared characteristics that can be traced back to a common ancestor (eg. wings of dragonflies and butterflies)
convergent evolution
independent evolution of similar characteristics due to similiar ecological pressures
analogous characters
shares characters that are a result of convergent evolution and not common ancestry (eg. bat and bird wings)
progressivism
evolution is just progressing through a long series of lesser organisms only to finally reach humans, which are the pinnacle of evolution
- WRONG