Cladograms and Phylogenetic Trees

Front

What is a cladogram?

Back

A cladogram is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among various biological species based on shared characteristics.

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What do the branching points in a phylogenetic tree represent?

Back

The branching points represent common ancestors of the species that diverge from that point.

Front

What is a common ancestor?

Back

A common ancestor is a species from which two or more species have evolved.

Front

What characteristic do all animals to the right of the salamander in a cladogram share?

Back

They share the characteristic of having claws or nails.

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What is the significance of traits in a cladogram?

Back

Traits in a cladogram indicate evolutionary adaptations that have occurred over time.

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How can you determine the closest relative of an organism in a cladogram?

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The closest relative is found by looking at the nearest branching point on the cladogram.

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What is the difference between a cladogram and a phylogenetic tree?

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A cladogram focuses on the order of branching, while a phylogenetic tree also includes information about the time of divergence.

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What does it mean if two species share a trait in a cladogram?

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It means that they likely inherited that trait from a common ancestor.

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What is the role of characteristics in determining evolutionary relationships?

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Characteristics help to group species based on shared traits, indicating their evolutionary lineage.

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What does the term 'derived trait' mean?

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A derived trait is a characteristic that evolved in a particular lineage and is not present in the ancestor.