Lectures 3-5

Question 1

What is the role of phylogenetics?

Answer 1

to study the evolutionary relationships among species

Question 2

What is a phylogenetic tree?
What do they show?

Answer 2

-graphical representations of evolutionary relationships among species
-show common ancestors and branching patterns of descent

Question 3

Define monophyletic trees

Answer 3

trees that include all descendants coming of a given common ancestor, forming a complete branch of an evolutionary tree

Question 4

Define paraphyletic trees

Answer 4

trees that include a common ancestor but not all of it’s possible descendants

Question 5

Define polyphyletic trees

Answer 5

trees that do not include the common ancestor of the listed taxa

Question 6

What are synapomorphies?

Answer 6

Traits shared by two distinct taxa because they were inherited from a common ancestor

Question 7

What are autapomorphies?

Answer 7

traits which have recently emerged
-this means they are present in only one of two “sister taxa”.
-a “derived trait”

Question 8

What does phylogeny give rise to?

Answer 8

-descendant groups
-populations
-species
-taxa

Question 9

What does phylogeny rely upon?

Answer 9

-shared traits (genotypic and phenotypic)
-the ability to quantify and compare them

Question 10

How are phylogenetic trees generated?

Answer 10

by computational biology methods/models

Question 11

What is a clade?

Answer 11

a group of species that share a common ancestor
-they can vary in size, either narrow or broad.

Question 12

What is the significance of endpoints on a phylogenetic tree?

Answer 12

-can be used to assess the relatedness of species
-indicate which taxa are more closely related based on branching patterns

Question 13

What do branches of a phylogenetic tree represent?

Answer 13

-represent evolutionary time
-show how long each taxon has been separated from a common ancestor

Question 14

How are phylogenies represented?

Answer 14

-trees
-ladders

Question 15

What is a monophyletic group?

Answer 15

a group that includes all descendants coming after a given common ancestor

Question 16

What is a paraphyletic group?

Answer 16

a group that includes a common ancestor but not all possible descendants

Question 17

What is a polyphyletic group?

Answer 17

a group that does not include the common ancestor of the listed taxa

Question 18

What is the difference between synapomorphies and autapomorphies?

Answer 18

-Synapomorphies are shared traits inherited from a common ancestor
-Autapomorphies are recently emerged traits present in only two “sister taxa”

Question 19

Define EDGE species

Answer 19

species that are both unique in their evolutionary history and at risk of extinction

Question 20

What is the main way of identifying common ancestors?

Answer 20

identified at nodes where branches split on the phylogenetic trees

Question 21

Define Character acquisition

Answer 21

the process by which species develop new traits or characteristics over evolutionary time

Question 22

What is the product of “successful” evolution?

Answer 22

biodiversity

Question 23

Define Biodiversity

Answer 23

variability among living organisms from all sources including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and their ecological complexes

Question 24

What does biodiversity include?

Answer 24

-diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems

Question 25

Why is understanding the concept of a "species" important in biodiversity?

Answer 25

species are fundamental units that contribute to biodiversity and evolution

Question 26

Define species

Answer 26

a class of plants or animals whose members have the same main characteristics and are able to breed with each other

Question 27

What is Biological Species Concept (BSC)?

Answer 27

a concept that defines species based on their ability to interbreed and produce healthy offspring

Question 28

What are the limitations of traditional definitions for species?

Answer 28

do not account for species that can interbreed and produce viable hybrid offspring

Question 29

What is the PSC definition of species?

Answer 29

emphasises the evolutionary history and relationships among organisms

Question 30

Provide an example of two species that can interbreed

Answer 30

The Coyote and the Wolf

Question 31

Define taxonomy

Answer 31

the process of naming, defining and classifying groups of biological organisms based on shared characteristics

Question 32

What is the hierarchy of biological taxonomy?

Answer 32

-Domain -Kingdom -Phylum -Class -Order -Family -Genus -Species

Question 33

Define Taxa

Answer 33

groups of biological organisms classified based on shared characteristics

Question 34

What is the Typological Species Concept?

Answer 34

a species concept that classifies organisms based on morphological traits and fixed characteristics

Question 35

What is the Ecological Species Concept?

Answer 35

defines species in terms of their ecological niche and role in the environment

Question 36

What are the two commonly used definitions for the term "species"?

Answer 36

BSC PSC

Question 37

What is Cohesion Species Concept?

Answer 37

a species concept that emphasises the genetic and ecological cohesiveness of a species

Question 38

What is a genetic exchange between different species called?

Answer 38

hybridisation

Question 39

What does Reproductive Species Concept focus on?

Answer 39

the mechanisms that prevent species from inbreeding

Question 40

Name 2 cichlid species that can hybridise

Answer 40

-Midas cichlid -Redhead cichlid

Question 41

Define Isolation Species Concept

Answer 41

a species concept that centres on mechanisms that isolate species, leading to speciation

Question 42

Why does taxonomy matter in biology?

Answer 42

it helps organise and classify biological organisms -this makes it easier to study and understand biodiversity

Question 43

Define Evolutionary Species Concept

Answer 43

the smallest monophyletic groups in the tree of life