BIOD101
M2: Taxonomy & Phylogeny
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Q&S
©2024/2025
,1. Which of the following best describes the principle of
parsimony in phylogenetic inference?
A) The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
B) The most complex explanation is usually the correct
one.
C) The explanation that involves the most common
ancestors is usually the correct one.
D) The explanation that involves the least common
ancestors is usually the correct one.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The principle of parsimony, also known as
Occam's razor, suggests that the simplest explanation, one
that posits the fewest evolutionary changes, is usually the
correct one.
2. In a phylogenetic tree, what does a branch point (node)
represent?
A) The end of a species line
B) A common ancestor shared by the descendant
lineages
C) The point at which a species becomes extinct
D) The introduction of a new species
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A branch point in a phylogenetic tree signifies a
common ancestor from which the descendant species
diverged.
3. Which concept is used to classify organisms based on
the proportion of measurable characteristics they have in
common?
A) Cladistics
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, B) Phenetics
C) Evolutionary taxonomy
D) Numerical taxonomy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Phenetics classifies organisms based on the
overall similarity between individuals, measured by a large
number of characteristics, without considering phylogeny.
4. What is the primary difference between homologous and
analogous structures?
A) Homologous structures have a common ancestry,
while analogous structures do not.
B) Homologous structures perform the same function,
while analogous structures do not.
C) Analogous structures have a common ancestry, while
homologous structures do not.
D) Analogous structures perform the same function, while
homologous structures do not.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Homologous structures arise from a common
ancestor and may or may not perform the same function,
whereas analogous structures perform similar functions but
do not share a common ancestry.
5. Which term refers to the evolutionary history of a species
or group of related species?
A) Cladogram
B) Phylogeny
C) Taxonomy
D) Systematics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Phylogeny is the term used to describe the
evolutionary history and the relationships among individuals
©2024/2025
, or groups of organisms.
6. What is a monophyletic group (clade)?
A) A group consisting of a single species and its
ancestors
B) A group consisting of all the descendants of a common
ancestor
C) A group consisting of multiple species without a
common ancestor
D) A group consisting of species from different
evolutionary paths
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A monophyletic group, or clade, includes an
ancestor and all of its descendants, representing a single
branch on the tree of life.
7. Which of the following is an example of a polyphyletic
group?
A) All mammals
B) All birds
C) Warm-blooded animals
D) All vertebrates
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A polyphyletic group is formed when unrelated
species are grouped together based on convergent traits
rather than common ancestry, such as warm-blooded
animals which include both mammals and birds but exclude
their common cold-blooded ancestors.
8. What does the term 'synapomorphy' refer to in
phylogenetics?
A) A characteristic present in an ancestral species and
shared exclusively by its evolutionary descendants
©2024/2025
M2: Taxonomy & Phylogeny
LATEST EXAM READINESS
GUIDE
Q&S
©2024/2025
,1. Which of the following best describes the principle of
parsimony in phylogenetic inference?
A) The simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
B) The most complex explanation is usually the correct
one.
C) The explanation that involves the most common
ancestors is usually the correct one.
D) The explanation that involves the least common
ancestors is usually the correct one.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The principle of parsimony, also known as
Occam's razor, suggests that the simplest explanation, one
that posits the fewest evolutionary changes, is usually the
correct one.
2. In a phylogenetic tree, what does a branch point (node)
represent?
A) The end of a species line
B) A common ancestor shared by the descendant
lineages
C) The point at which a species becomes extinct
D) The introduction of a new species
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A branch point in a phylogenetic tree signifies a
common ancestor from which the descendant species
diverged.
3. Which concept is used to classify organisms based on
the proportion of measurable characteristics they have in
common?
A) Cladistics
©2024/2025
, B) Phenetics
C) Evolutionary taxonomy
D) Numerical taxonomy
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Phenetics classifies organisms based on the
overall similarity between individuals, measured by a large
number of characteristics, without considering phylogeny.
4. What is the primary difference between homologous and
analogous structures?
A) Homologous structures have a common ancestry,
while analogous structures do not.
B) Homologous structures perform the same function,
while analogous structures do not.
C) Analogous structures have a common ancestry, while
homologous structures do not.
D) Analogous structures perform the same function, while
homologous structures do not.
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Homologous structures arise from a common
ancestor and may or may not perform the same function,
whereas analogous structures perform similar functions but
do not share a common ancestry.
5. Which term refers to the evolutionary history of a species
or group of related species?
A) Cladogram
B) Phylogeny
C) Taxonomy
D) Systematics
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Phylogeny is the term used to describe the
evolutionary history and the relationships among individuals
©2024/2025
, or groups of organisms.
6. What is a monophyletic group (clade)?
A) A group consisting of a single species and its
ancestors
B) A group consisting of all the descendants of a common
ancestor
C) A group consisting of multiple species without a
common ancestor
D) A group consisting of species from different
evolutionary paths
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: A monophyletic group, or clade, includes an
ancestor and all of its descendants, representing a single
branch on the tree of life.
7. Which of the following is an example of a polyphyletic
group?
A) All mammals
B) All birds
C) Warm-blooded animals
D) All vertebrates
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: A polyphyletic group is formed when unrelated
species are grouped together based on convergent traits
rather than common ancestry, such as warm-blooded
animals which include both mammals and birds but exclude
their common cold-blooded ancestors.
8. What does the term 'synapomorphy' refer to in
phylogenetics?
A) A characteristic present in an ancestral species and
shared exclusively by its evolutionary descendants
©2024/2025
