Phylogenetic Tree/Cladograms

Front

What is a phylogenetic tree?

Back

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

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What is a cladogram?

Back

A type of phylogenetic tree that shows the relationships between organisms based on shared characteristics, often using branching patterns.

Front

What does a common ancestor represent in a phylogenetic tree?

Back

The most recent species from which two or more species have evolved.

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What are homologous structures?

Back

Anatomical features in different species that share a common ancestry, even if they have different functions.

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What are analogous structures?

Back

Anatomical features in different species that serve similar functions but do not share a common ancestry.

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What are vestigial structures?

Back

Body parts that have lost their original function through evolution, such as the pelvic bones in whales.

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What is the significance of branching points in a cladogram?

Back

They represent the divergence of two or more species from a common ancestor.

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What does it mean if two species are closely related on a phylogenetic tree?

Back

It indicates that they share a more recent common ancestor compared to other species on the tree.

Front

What characteristic do all mammals share according to phylogenetic trees?

Back

Mammary glands, which allow them to nurse their young.

Front

What is the difference between a monophyletic group and a paraphyletic group?

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A monophyletic group includes an ancestor and all its descendants, while a paraphyletic group includes an ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants.