BIO 370 Vertebrate Zoology ASU Exam
1 QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED
PASSED
Cladistics - correct answer ✔✔ Phylogenetic systematics that takes evolutionary relationships
into consideration by grouping an ancestor and all of their descendants into a clade
o Grouping can then be based on morphology, gene sequencing, or computational methods
Analagous - correct answer ✔✔ Characteristics that are the same but not the same because of
evolution (they just happen to be similar)
Homologous - correct answer ✔✔ Characteristics that are shared due to a common ancestral
origin
o Shared primitive characteristics: ancestral to all of the animals of interest
o Shared derived characteristics: unique to that individual clade
Apomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ A derived trait (distinct feature) in a taxon
Synapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ Derived traits shared by related taxa and found in their
most recent common ancestor. Are homologous (meaning due to being inherited through
common ancestry)
Plesiomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ Ancestral trait found at basis of cladogram (may be lost or
retained)
Monophyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Most recent common ancestor and all descendants
form a clade defined by synapomorphies
, Paraphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Descendants of one ancestor minus one (or several)
monophyletic groups
Polyphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Any other group which includes multiple descendants,
but not all ancestors
Major Extant Groups of Vertebrates - correct answer ✔✔ Amniotes (terrestrial vertebrates) and
non-amniotes (aquatic vertebrates)
Metazoans - correct answer ✔✔ Multicellular heterotrophs
•Motile at some point in their life cycle
Synapomorphies of Chordata - correct answer ✔✔ Possession of:
o Notochord
o Dorsal hollow neural tube running along the notochord
o Post anal tail (tail that extends beyond the gut)
o Endostyle (used to create mucous and trap particles as they enter the mouth)
Synapomorphies of Cephalocordates - correct answer ✔✔ •Myomeres (muscles)
•Partially closed circulatory system
•Hepatic caecum (homologous to liver/pancreas)
•Podocytes (kidney-like cells)
•Symmetrical pharyngeal gill slits
•Oral cirri (filter)
•Wheel organ (circulates food through mouth)
1 QUESTIONS WELL ANSWERED
PASSED
Cladistics - correct answer ✔✔ Phylogenetic systematics that takes evolutionary relationships
into consideration by grouping an ancestor and all of their descendants into a clade
o Grouping can then be based on morphology, gene sequencing, or computational methods
Analagous - correct answer ✔✔ Characteristics that are the same but not the same because of
evolution (they just happen to be similar)
Homologous - correct answer ✔✔ Characteristics that are shared due to a common ancestral
origin
o Shared primitive characteristics: ancestral to all of the animals of interest
o Shared derived characteristics: unique to that individual clade
Apomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ A derived trait (distinct feature) in a taxon
Synapomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ Derived traits shared by related taxa and found in their
most recent common ancestor. Are homologous (meaning due to being inherited through
common ancestry)
Plesiomorphy - correct answer ✔✔ Ancestral trait found at basis of cladogram (may be lost or
retained)
Monophyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Most recent common ancestor and all descendants
form a clade defined by synapomorphies
, Paraphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Descendants of one ancestor minus one (or several)
monophyletic groups
Polyphyletic group - correct answer ✔✔ Any other group which includes multiple descendants,
but not all ancestors
Major Extant Groups of Vertebrates - correct answer ✔✔ Amniotes (terrestrial vertebrates) and
non-amniotes (aquatic vertebrates)
Metazoans - correct answer ✔✔ Multicellular heterotrophs
•Motile at some point in their life cycle
Synapomorphies of Chordata - correct answer ✔✔ Possession of:
o Notochord
o Dorsal hollow neural tube running along the notochord
o Post anal tail (tail that extends beyond the gut)
o Endostyle (used to create mucous and trap particles as they enter the mouth)
Synapomorphies of Cephalocordates - correct answer ✔✔ •Myomeres (muscles)
•Partially closed circulatory system
•Hepatic caecum (homologous to liver/pancreas)
•Podocytes (kidney-like cells)
•Symmetrical pharyngeal gill slits
•Oral cirri (filter)
•Wheel organ (circulates food through mouth)
