Cladograms Vocabulary Review

Often, adaptations such as 'egg with shell' or 'bipedal' are placed into a cladogram to indicate when it came into the population over the course of biological evolution. Which phrase below correctly defines what an adaptation is?

• relating to molecules, a group of atoms bonded together that represents the smallest unit of a chemical compound

• a change that results in an organism being better suited to its environment

• a principle that states that the simplest explanation that fits all evidence is most often true

Which phrase shows the correct definition of the term EVOLUTION?

• similarities and differences in SNPs between species giving clues about their evolutionary relatedness

• group of organisms believed to have evolved from the same common ancestor

• branching diagram that shows the hypothesized relationship between organisms

• change in the inherited traits of a population of organisms that occurs over many generations

Which term is being defined by this phrase?

a group of organisms believed to have evolved from the same common ancestor; it includes all of the descendants of the common ancestor

• Amnion

• Clade

• Phloem

• Xylem

In the cladogram above, the brown bear, giant panda, and red panda all share a common ancestor at the _______ node. Then, the ancestors of the brown bear diverged from the ancestors of both the giant panda and red panda. The giant panda and red panda share a common ancestor at the _____ node.

• green | purple

• purple | orange

• orange | green

• green | orange

A cladogram is a branching diagram that shows the hypothesized relationship between organisms. The nodes of the cladogram represent common ancestors and the branches represent _____ evolution.

• divergent

• convergent

• morphological

• molecular

Which choice represents the correct representation of xylem and phloem?

• Phloem transports water and nutrients UP from the roots to the rest of the plant, while xylem conducts sugars and other metabolites DOWN from the leaves to the roots.

• Xylem transports water and nutrients UP from the roots to the rest of the plant, while phloem conducts sugars and other metabolites DOWN from the leaves to the roots.

The independent evolution of similar traits in more than one lineage - for example, wing development in birds and bats - is known as:

• divergent evolution

• adaptation

• convergent evolution

• parsimony

True or false? Similarities and differences in single-nucleotide polymorphisms between species give clues about their evolutionary relatedness.

• True

• False

Which term is being defined by this phrase?

a method of classification of species based on their morphological or molecular similarity

• Clade

• Cladistics

• Cladogram

• Convergent evolution

A biologist uses a type of branching diagram called a ___________ that shows the hypothesized relationship between organisms.

• Cryptogram

• Punnett square

• Pictogram

• Cladogram