BIOL 1407: Phylogeny and the Tree of Life Quiz

What is the two-part scientific name of a species called?

• Taxon

• Binomial

• Clade

• Genus

Which of the following taxonomic levels is the broadest?

• Family

• Order

• Genus

• Domain

What does a phylogenetic tree represent?

• Phenotypic similarity among species

• The genetic similarity among species

• The exact timeline of species evolution

• A hypothesis about evolutionary relationships

What are sister taxa?

• Groups that evolved at the same time

• Groups that share a common ancestor with all other groups

• Groups that share an immediate common ancestor not shared by any other group

• Groups that have similar phenotypes

Which of the following is NOT one of the three domains of life?

• Bacteria

• Archaea

• Protista

• Eukarya

What is the best classification system?

• One that unites organisms with similar morphologies

• One that conforms to traditional Linnaean practices

• One that reflects evolutionary history

• One that separates prokaryotes from eukaryotes

The existence of antler-like structures in beetles, flies, and deer is an example of:

• Parsimony

• Similarity due to shared ancestry

• Convergent evolution

• Homology

Why is it important to differentiate analogous structures from homologous structures?

• To classify organisms based on physical appearance

• To determine the age of fossils

• To accurately trace evolutionary history

• To understand the genetic makeup of organisms

What is a shared ancestral character?

• A character that is derived from convergent evolution

• A character that is found in only one species

• A character that originated in an ancestor of the taxon

• A character unique to a particular clade

What is the principle of maximum parsimony?

• The explanation with the least data is the most likely

• The explanation with the most data is the most likely

• The most complex explanation is the most likely

• The simplest explanation is the most likely