RUTGERS UNIVERSITY BIO 116 ACTUAL
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉Name #1. Answer: The genus to which the specie belongs; is
capitalized and can be used alone
◉Name #2. Answer: The specific epithet that is unique to the specie;
is lowercase and cannot be used alone
◉Taxonomy. Answer: Organizing species based on their phenotypic
similarities
◉Phylogeny. Answer: Organizing species based on their
evolutionary histories
◉Hierarchical Classification of Taxonomy. Answer: domain,
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
◉Taxonomy and phylogeny often differ because of ________. Answer:
Evolution
,◉Unlike taxonomy, phylogeny.... Answer: takes evolution into
account
◉Mechanisms of evolution. Answer: natural selection. gene flow,
mutations. nonrandom mating, genetic drift
◉Types of speciation. Answer: sympatric and allopatric
◉3 types of diversity. Answer: genetic, ecosystem, species
◉Extant species. Answer: tips of the branches
◉Branch point. Answer: divergence of two species from a common
ancestor
◉Sister taxa. Answer: two species that share a common ancestor
◉Basal taxon. Answer: a group that diverges early in the
evolutionary history of the clade depicted and therefore is most
closely related to the common ancestor
, ◉Polytomy. Answer: a point where more than 2 species diverge from
a branch point; indicates that the evolutionary history is not yet
clear
◉Monophyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor and all its
descendants included
◉Paraphyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor and almost all
of its descendants included
◉Polyphyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor is NOT included;
instead, just includes two distantly related species
◉Capsids. Answer: the protein shell enclosing a viral genome
◉Capsomeres. Answer: the proteins that capsids are made of
◉Viral envelope. Answer: a coating over a virus's capsid that is
made from the phospholipids, glycoproteins, and peripheral
proteins of the virus's previous host that helps it trick and infect
other hosts
◉Why are viruses host specific?. Answer: Because to hijack a cell's
metabolic processes, it needs to have DNA and genes at least very
EXAM PAPER 2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
◉Name #1. Answer: The genus to which the specie belongs; is
capitalized and can be used alone
◉Name #2. Answer: The specific epithet that is unique to the specie;
is lowercase and cannot be used alone
◉Taxonomy. Answer: Organizing species based on their phenotypic
similarities
◉Phylogeny. Answer: Organizing species based on their
evolutionary histories
◉Hierarchical Classification of Taxonomy. Answer: domain,
kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species
◉Taxonomy and phylogeny often differ because of ________. Answer:
Evolution
,◉Unlike taxonomy, phylogeny.... Answer: takes evolution into
account
◉Mechanisms of evolution. Answer: natural selection. gene flow,
mutations. nonrandom mating, genetic drift
◉Types of speciation. Answer: sympatric and allopatric
◉3 types of diversity. Answer: genetic, ecosystem, species
◉Extant species. Answer: tips of the branches
◉Branch point. Answer: divergence of two species from a common
ancestor
◉Sister taxa. Answer: two species that share a common ancestor
◉Basal taxon. Answer: a group that diverges early in the
evolutionary history of the clade depicted and therefore is most
closely related to the common ancestor
, ◉Polytomy. Answer: a point where more than 2 species diverge from
a branch point; indicates that the evolutionary history is not yet
clear
◉Monophyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor and all its
descendants included
◉Paraphyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor and almost all
of its descendants included
◉Polyphyletic clade. Answer: the common ancestor is NOT included;
instead, just includes two distantly related species
◉Capsids. Answer: the protein shell enclosing a viral genome
◉Capsomeres. Answer: the proteins that capsids are made of
◉Viral envelope. Answer: a coating over a virus's capsid that is
made from the phospholipids, glycoproteins, and peripheral
proteins of the virus's previous host that helps it trick and infect
other hosts
◉Why are viruses host specific?. Answer: Because to hijack a cell's
metabolic processes, it needs to have DNA and genes at least very
