Cladograms and Phylogenetic Trees

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What is a cladogram?

Back

A cladogram is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms, illustrating how they are related through common ancestors.

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What is a phylogenetic tree?

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A phylogenetic tree is a branching diagram that represents the evolutionary history of a group of organisms, showing how species are related through evolution.

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What does a node represent in a cladogram?

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Each node on a cladogram represents the last point at which two groups shared a common ancestor.

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What is a common ancestor?

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

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What is the significance of traits in cladograms?

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Traits are characteristics that can be used to determine evolutionary relationships; they help to identify how closely related different organisms are.

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How do you determine the most closely related organisms on a cladogram?

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The most closely related organisms are found on branches that diverge from the same node.

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What is a monophyletic group?

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A monophyletic group, or clade, includes an ancestor and all of its descendants.

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What is the difference between homologous and analogous traits?

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Homologous traits are similar due to shared ancestry, while analogous traits are similar due to convergent evolution, not shared ancestry.

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What is the purpose of a phylogenetic tree?

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The purpose of a phylogenetic tree is to illustrate the evolutionary relationships and history of different species.

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What does it mean if two species share a recent common ancestor?

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If two species share a recent common ancestor, it means they are more closely related to each other than to species that diverged earlier.