Cladogram Practice

Front

What is a cladogram?

Back

A cladogram is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on similarities and differences in their physical or genetic characteristics.

Front

What does a node represent in a cladogram?

Back

A node represents a common ancestor from which two or more descendant species diverged.

Front

What are derived characteristics?

Back

Derived characteristics are traits that are newly evolved and not present in the common ancestor.

Front

How do you determine the most distantly related organism in a cladogram?

Back

The most distantly related organism is found at the end of the longest branch from the common ancestor.

Front

What is the significance of the order of organisms in a cladogram?

Back

The order of organisms in a cladogram indicates their evolutionary relationships and how closely related they are to one another.

Front

What is the difference between ancestral and derived traits?

Back

Ancestral traits are characteristics that were present in the common ancestor, while derived traits are new characteristics that evolved after the divergence.

Front

What does the term 'clade' refer to?

Back

A clade is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants.

Front

How can you identify a derived trait on a cladogram?

Back

A derived trait is typically found at the end of a branch and is not present in the common ancestor.

Front

What is the purpose of a cladogram in biology?

Back

The purpose of a cladogram is to illustrate the evolutionary relationships and lineage of different species.

Front

What does it mean if two organisms share a recent common ancestor on a cladogram?

Back

It means that the two organisms are more closely related to each other than to organisms that do not share that ancestor.