Phylogenetic and Classification Quiz

The root of a phylogenetic tree represents:

• The ancestor of all lineages

• A clade missing members

• An unrelated outgroup

• Only the youngest species

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-1

What is a diagnostic character?

• A trait unique to a species

• A trait inherited from an ancestor

• A shared derived character

• A convergent trait

Why are classification keys valuable?

• They prove evolution

• They help identify unknown organisms (e.g., a mammal skull)

• They show mutation rates

• They show fossil ages

What kind of characters are problematic for building phylogenies?

• Characters with high environmental variability

• Characters based on DNA sequences

• Characters inherited from ancestors

• Shared derived traits

What are derived characters?

• Traits found in all organisms of a domain

• Traits that evolved more recently within a clade

• Traits lost in all descendants

• Traits influenced only by environment

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-1

NGSS.HS-LS4-2

NGSS.HS-LS4-4

What are ancestral characters?

• Traits that appeared closer to the root and were inherited by later species

• Traits that evolve only in one species

• Traits influenced by environment only

• Traits found only in outgroups

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS4-1

Which domain is divided into four supergroups: Unikonta, Archaeplastida, Excavata, and SAR?

• Bacteria

• Archaea

• Eukarya

• Protista

Archaea that survive in extreme heat (e.g., hot springs) are called:

• Halophiles

• Thermophiles

• Acidophiles

• Methanogens

What are the four traditional kingdoms in older classification systems?

• Plants, Animals, Protists, Bacteria

• Protists, Plants, Fungi, Animals

• Archaea, Protists, Plants, Animals

• Bacteria, Fungi, Animals, Protists

The scientific name of a species is also called its:

• Common name

• Binomial name

• Phylogeny

• Synapomorphy