Phylogeny and Cladistics

A branching diagram that represents the proposed phylogeny or evolutionary history of a species or group.

• kinship

• pedigree

• genogram

• cladogram

The science of cladistics produces a system for naming and classifying organisms.

• True

• False

• Either A or B

• cannot tell

Unlike a pedigree, a cladogram ________

• shows ancestry

• shows hypothesized phylogeny

• indicates ancestry from two parents

• explains relationships

Which of the following would be a useful characteristic to use in cladistics?

• derived characteristic

• similar habitat

• mutations

• random differences

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

A flaw in Aristotle’s classification system was that ________.

• it included too many organisms

• it did not show natural relationships

• large organisms were not included

• it was based on Greek instead of Latin

Based on the structures of the organisms listed below, which of the following is most closely

related to a domestic cat?

• dog

• duck

• lion

• snake

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which taxon contains the others?

• Family

• Order

• Species

• Phylum

What is the primary goal of phylogenetic studies?

• To determine the genetic makeup of organisms

• To understand the evolutionary relationships among species

• To classify organisms based on physical characteristics

• To study the behavior of organisms in their natural habitat

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Which of the following is a key feature of a cladogram?

• It shows the chronological age of species

• It represents the evolutionary relationships among species

• It displays the genetic differences between species

• It indicates the geographical distribution of species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

In cladistics, what is a 'derived characteristic'?

• A trait that is shared by all members of a group

• A trait that is unique to a particular species

• A trait that appears in recent parts of a lineage but not in its older members

• A trait that is found in the ancestor of a group

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-3