Introduction to Dinosaurs (GLGY 305)
Question and answers already passed
Charles Darwin - correct answer ✔1809-1882
Discovered and coined term: natural selection
Explained why species change, but not how
Natural Selection - correct answer ✔When certain variations in species are
better suited to their environment, they stay alive long enough to reproduce,
meaning other variations die back or off altogether.
Evolution by Natural Selection - correct answer ✔After many years of natural
selection, there are enough differences to create a new species, or loss of
species.
Biological Species - correct answer ✔Group of individuals that can or could
interbreed and have fertile offspring.
Carolus Linnaeus - correct answer ✔(1707-1778) Founder of taxonomy, the
branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying organisms. Created
groups of organisms called taxa (taxon = singular) that were similar to each
other in feature.
Taxon (or taxa) - correct answer ✔Any one group on the cladogram at any
rank, like kingdom, genus, or species
Linnaean Taxonomy - correct answer ✔Groups (taxa) of organisms
categorized by similar features. Larger groups were more broad (all animals),
smaller groups got more specific (animals with backbone)
,Kingdom - Phylum - Class - Order - Family - Genus - Species
Still widely used but not always the best for all evolutionary relationships
homologous structures - correct answer ✔A similar anatomical structure in 2
different organisms that can be traced back to a single structure in a common
ancestor
Used in cladograms (phylogenetic systems), not all are useful though (ie all
birds have feathers). Needs to be diagnostic
analogus structures - correct answer ✔Features/structures that look similar
because they serve a similar function but are not inherited from a common
ancestor
convergent evolution - correct answer ✔Process by which unrelated
organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar
environments
phylogenetic systematics - correct answer ✔Aka evolutionary trees: method
to classify animals that shows their relationships and gradual evolution over
time
*Uses homologous traits
characters - correct answer ✔observable features of anatomy
, diagnostic characters - correct answer ✔distinctive and unique characters
which define a taxon
Cladogram - correct answer ✔Diagram that shows hierarchies of diagnostic
characters. Depict a hypothesis as to how organisms are related.
- Type of phylogenetic system
- Does not depict time
- Accuracy tested when new characters are added and it doesn't change
Node - correct answer ✔A point on the cladogram where branches split.
Depicts a set of diagnostic characteristics that get more specific as you move
up the tree
Common Ancestry - correct answer ✔The characteristics depicted on the
cladogram denote that all the animals above that node had an ancestor in
common
Principle of parsimony - correct answer ✔Simplest explanation = best: The
best cladogram is the one with the fewest number of evolutionary changes
Primitive characters - correct answer ✔Characters that appear low on the
cladogram and are passed up. Term is used in comparison to another taxon.
- plesiomorphic
Derived characters - correct answer ✔Characters that appear higher on the
cladogram. Term is used in comparison to another taxon.
Question and answers already passed
Charles Darwin - correct answer ✔1809-1882
Discovered and coined term: natural selection
Explained why species change, but not how
Natural Selection - correct answer ✔When certain variations in species are
better suited to their environment, they stay alive long enough to reproduce,
meaning other variations die back or off altogether.
Evolution by Natural Selection - correct answer ✔After many years of natural
selection, there are enough differences to create a new species, or loss of
species.
Biological Species - correct answer ✔Group of individuals that can or could
interbreed and have fertile offspring.
Carolus Linnaeus - correct answer ✔(1707-1778) Founder of taxonomy, the
branch of biology concerned with naming and classifying organisms. Created
groups of organisms called taxa (taxon = singular) that were similar to each
other in feature.
Taxon (or taxa) - correct answer ✔Any one group on the cladogram at any
rank, like kingdom, genus, or species
Linnaean Taxonomy - correct answer ✔Groups (taxa) of organisms
categorized by similar features. Larger groups were more broad (all animals),
smaller groups got more specific (animals with backbone)
,Kingdom - Phylum - Class - Order - Family - Genus - Species
Still widely used but not always the best for all evolutionary relationships
homologous structures - correct answer ✔A similar anatomical structure in 2
different organisms that can be traced back to a single structure in a common
ancestor
Used in cladograms (phylogenetic systems), not all are useful though (ie all
birds have feathers). Needs to be diagnostic
analogus structures - correct answer ✔Features/structures that look similar
because they serve a similar function but are not inherited from a common
ancestor
convergent evolution - correct answer ✔Process by which unrelated
organisms independently evolve similarities when adapting to similar
environments
phylogenetic systematics - correct answer ✔Aka evolutionary trees: method
to classify animals that shows their relationships and gradual evolution over
time
*Uses homologous traits
characters - correct answer ✔observable features of anatomy
, diagnostic characters - correct answer ✔distinctive and unique characters
which define a taxon
Cladogram - correct answer ✔Diagram that shows hierarchies of diagnostic
characters. Depict a hypothesis as to how organisms are related.
- Type of phylogenetic system
- Does not depict time
- Accuracy tested when new characters are added and it doesn't change
Node - correct answer ✔A point on the cladogram where branches split.
Depicts a set of diagnostic characteristics that get more specific as you move
up the tree
Common Ancestry - correct answer ✔The characteristics depicted on the
cladogram denote that all the animals above that node had an ancestor in
common
Principle of parsimony - correct answer ✔Simplest explanation = best: The
best cladogram is the one with the fewest number of evolutionary changes
Primitive characters - correct answer ✔Characters that appear low on the
cladogram and are passed up. Term is used in comparison to another taxon.
- plesiomorphic
Derived characters - correct answer ✔Characters that appear higher on the
cladogram. Term is used in comparison to another taxon.
