Evolution Final Exam – Study Guide & Revision Notes
Taxonomy - correct answer ✔✔Theory and practice of classifying organisms
Linnaeus
Phylogenetic systematics - correct answer ✔✔an approach to classifying organisms based upon
their evolutionary histories
character states - correct answer ✔✔a derived character state is inferred to be a modified
version of the primitive condition of that character, and to have arisen later in the evolution of
the clade
paraphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔a group that includes the common ancestor of all its
members but does not contain every species that descended from that ancestor
polyphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔a group that does not contain the common ancestor of
its members and
synapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔a derived trait that is shared in two populations because it
was inherited from a recent common ancestor.
Evolutionary biologists aim to use synapomorphies in phylogenetic reconstruction, as they
provide useful information about the evolutionary relationships among populations
autapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔derived traits found only in members of a particular group
apomorphy - correct answer ✔✔characters are derived traits
plesiomorphic - correct answer ✔✔characters are ancestral traits
, homology - correct answer ✔✔designates a relationship of common descent between any
entities, without further speciation of the evolutionary scenario
hennig's auxiliary principle - correct answer ✔✔never presume convergent or parallel
evolution; always presume homology
relative apomorphy rule - correct answer ✔✔outgroup comparison
homologous characters found only in the in-groups are apomorphic (derived)
homologous characters shared with a sister group are plesiomorphic (ancestral)
grouping rule - correct answer ✔✔only synapomorphies provide evidence of common ancestry
relationships
polytomy - correct answer ✔✔a node with more than two branches arising from it indicating
uncertain derivation
ortholog - correct answer ✔✔homologs produced by speciation
paralog - correct answer ✔✔homologs produced by gene duplication
xenolog - correct answer ✔✔homologs resulting from the horizontal transfer of a gene between
two organisms
cladogram - correct answer ✔✔branch tips are alined and indicate only the evolutionary
relationships among the species shown
Taxonomy - correct answer ✔✔Theory and practice of classifying organisms
Linnaeus
Phylogenetic systematics - correct answer ✔✔an approach to classifying organisms based upon
their evolutionary histories
character states - correct answer ✔✔a derived character state is inferred to be a modified
version of the primitive condition of that character, and to have arisen later in the evolution of
the clade
paraphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔a group that includes the common ancestor of all its
members but does not contain every species that descended from that ancestor
polyphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔a group that does not contain the common ancestor of
its members and
synapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔a derived trait that is shared in two populations because it
was inherited from a recent common ancestor.
Evolutionary biologists aim to use synapomorphies in phylogenetic reconstruction, as they
provide useful information about the evolutionary relationships among populations
autapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔derived traits found only in members of a particular group
apomorphy - correct answer ✔✔characters are derived traits
plesiomorphic - correct answer ✔✔characters are ancestral traits
, homology - correct answer ✔✔designates a relationship of common descent between any
entities, without further speciation of the evolutionary scenario
hennig's auxiliary principle - correct answer ✔✔never presume convergent or parallel
evolution; always presume homology
relative apomorphy rule - correct answer ✔✔outgroup comparison
homologous characters found only in the in-groups are apomorphic (derived)
homologous characters shared with a sister group are plesiomorphic (ancestral)
grouping rule - correct answer ✔✔only synapomorphies provide evidence of common ancestry
relationships
polytomy - correct answer ✔✔a node with more than two branches arising from it indicating
uncertain derivation
ortholog - correct answer ✔✔homologs produced by speciation
paralog - correct answer ✔✔homologs produced by gene duplication
xenolog - correct answer ✔✔homologs resulting from the horizontal transfer of a gene between
two organisms
cladogram - correct answer ✔✔branch tips are alined and indicate only the evolutionary
relationships among the species shown
