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Cladograms and Phylogeny

Total questions: 25

Worksheet time: 25mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

Who is most closely related to Taxidea taxus?

a)

Lutra lutra

b)

Panthera pardus

c)

Canis latrans

d)

Canis lupus

2.

Which group of animals on this tree are most closely related to birds?

a)

Saurischian dinosaurs

b)

Ornithischian dinosaurs

c)

Crocodiles

d)

None of these are related to birds

3.

Two organisms that are closely related would have

a)

very similar DNA sequence

b)

exactly the same DNA sequences

c)

no proteins in common

d)

completely different DNA sequence

4.

According to the cladogram, which organism is most distantly related to the human?

a)

crayfish

b)

grasshopper

c)

perch

d)

frog

5.

A biologist sequences a gene shared by five different species. The percentage of sequence similarity for four different gene segments, A, B, C, and D, are shown in the table. Using the data in the table, move the species labels into the blank boxes of the cladogram to show the relationships among the species.

6.

A biologist sequences a gene shared by five different species. The percentage of sequence similarity for four different gene segments, A, B, C, and D, are shown in the table. Using the data in the table, move the species labels into the blank boxes of the cladogram to show the relationships among the species.

7.

Each node on a cladogram represents...

a)

the last point at which two groups shared a common ancestor.

b)

the point at which one or more species became extinct.

c)

the most recent point at which a trait was lost in a certain clade.

d)

the point at which two clades joined and became monophyletic.

8.

The cladogram shown is a model used by scientists to represent the order in which they hypothesize organisms descended from a common ancestor based on the appearance of derived characteristics.

Which of the following traits do the salamander and the lizard share?

a)

Jaws only

b)

Jaws and Lungs

c)

Claws or nails

d)

Jaws, Lungs, and Claws or nails

9.

The phylogenetic tree was constructed using derived traits of organisms A, B, C, D, and E. Based on the tree, which two organisms share the most derived traits?

a)

C and D because they share one common branch.

b)

C and D because they are closest to the end of the tree next to each other.

c)

A and B because they share the most branch points.

d)

A and B because they are the pair closest to the center.

10.

On the cladogram, which organism is the closest relative of the parrot?

a)

Frog

b)

Hare

c)

Caiman

d)

Parrot

11.

Which organism is the most distantly related to all the others?

a)

Raccoon

b)

Dog

c)

Giant Panda

d)

Sun Bear

12.

According to paragraphs 6 and 7, we know that the phylogeny system — 

a)

groups organisms together into units called clades

b)

has phylogenetic or evolutionary trees and cladograms that demonstrate the same pattern

c)

traces the relatedness of organisms according to their evolutionary history

d)

all of the above are true

13.

In a cladogram -

a)

the most ancient organisms, called the origin, are found at the very base of the tree diagram.

b)

the closer the branch point is to an organism, the more distantly related those organisms are

c)

neither A nor B are true

d)

both A and B are true

14.

What is the main aim of the study of systematics?

a)

to calculate how many organisms there are on Earth

b)

to understand the evolutionary relationship of biological organisms

c)

to create a naming system for biological organisms

d)

none of the above

15.

According to this tree, which of these animal phyla are most closely related?

a)

Arthropoda & Mollusca

b)

Arthropoda & Chordata

c)

Chordata & Mollusca

16.

Where is the alligator and T. rex's common ancestor?

a)

Point A

b)

Point B

c)

Point C

d)

Point D

17.

What do you call the traits shown on phylogenetic trees, such as "four limbs" or "vertebrae"?

a)

Derived characteristics

b)

Speedy Lambofeeties

c)

Branching elements

d)

Harmonious changes

18.

According to this data, the unknown bacterial species is most closely related to: 

a)

Species I

b)

Species II

c)

Species III

d)

Species IV

19.

Some organisms that share a common ancestor have features that have different functions, but similar structures.  These are known as

a)

vestigial structures

b)

analogous structures

c)

homologous structures

d)

fossil structures

20.

In a cladogram, what does a branch point represent?

a)

A common ancestor shared by the descendant groups

b)

The extinction of a species

c)

The introduction of a new trait

d)

The divergence of a species into two

21.

Which of the following best describes a phylogenetic tree?

a)

A diagram showing evolutionary relationships among species

b)

A chart of species population sizes

c)

A map of species geographic distribution

d)

A timeline of species extinction events

22.

What is the primary purpose of using cladograms in evolutionary biology?

a)

To illustrate the evolutionary pathways and relationships between species

b)

To measure the genetic differences between species

c)

To track the population growth of species

d)

To identify the geographic origin of species

23.

How can molecular data be used in constructing phylogenies?

a)

By comparing DNA sequences to determine evolutionary relationships

b)

By measuring the physical traits of organisms

c)

By analyzing the geographic distribution of species

d)

By studying the fossil record

24.

Which of the following is a real-world application of phylogenetic analysis?

a)

Tracing the origin and spread of infectious diseases

b)

Predicting weather patterns

c)

Mapping the distribution of minerals

d)

Calculating the age of the Earth

25.

What does the term 'monophyletic group' refer to in phylogenetics?

a)

A group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all its descendants

b)

A group of organisms that share similar physical traits

c)

A group of organisms that live in the same habitat

d)

A group of organisms that have the same number of chromosomes