Phylogeny and Cladistics

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

• True

• False

• Either A or B

• cannot tell

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Which organisms are most closely related?

• Equus caballas (Horse) & Equus burchellii (Zebra)

• Cyanea artica (Jellyfish) &
  Ctenodiscus crispatus (Mud Starfish)

• Naja naja (cobra) & Glycine max (soya bean)

• Ophiocomina nigra (black brittle star) & Brassica nigra (black mustard)

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

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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 evolutionary relationships among species

• To classify organisms based on physical similarities

• To identify the habitat of different species

• To study the behavior of organisms

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Which of the following best describes a cladogram?

• A diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms

• A chart that lists all known species in a region

• A graph that shows the population growth of a species

• A table that compares the physical characteristics of organisms

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

In cladistics, what is a 'derived characteristic'?

• A trait that is present in an ancestor and all its descendants

• A trait that is unique to a particular species

• A trait that is found in the environment

• A trait that is lost over time

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

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