Question 1

Which of the following traits is likely to be unsuitable for phylogenetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

A)  Morphology 
B)  DNA and RNA sequences 
C)  Protein sequences 
D)  Learned behavior 
E)  Development

Question 2

If two scientific names are proposed for the same species, how do taxonomists decide which name should be used?

Accepted Answer

A)  The name that provides the most accurate description of the organism is used. 
B)  The name that was proposed most recently is used. 
C)  The name that was used in the most recent taxonomic revision is used. 
D)  The first name to be proposed is used, unless that name was previously used for another species. 
E)  Taxonomists use whichever name they prefer.

Question 3

According to the diagram below, which of the three phylogenetic trees of the Drosophila species is different from the other two?

Accepted Answer

The answer of According to the diagram below, which of...

Question 4

Below is a list of several species names. Which of these is not spelled or written correctly?

Accepted Answer

A)  Homo erectus 
B)  Drosophila Simulans 
C)  H. sapiens 
D)  Tribolium castaneum 
E)  Gavia immer

Question 5

Members of genus X, a hypothetical taxon of invertebrates, have antennae with a variable number of segments. Species A and B have 10 segments; species C and D have 9 segments; species E has 8 segments. In all other genera in this family (including genus Y), all species have antennae with 10 segments. Which of the following character states is a synapomorphy that would be useful for determining evolutionary relationships within genus X?

Accepted Answer

A)  10-segment antennae in species A and B 
B)  10-segment antennae in genus Y and in two species of genus X 
C)  Antennae with fewer than 10 segments in species C, D, and E 
D)  8-segment antennae in species E 
E)  Both c and d

Question 6

The most important attribute of a biological classification scheme is that it

Accepted Answer

A)  avoids the ambiguity created by the use of common names. 
B)  reflects the evolutionary relationships among organisms. 
C)  helps us remember organisms and their traits. 
D)  improves our ability to make predictions about the morphology and behavior of organisms. 
E)  groups together organisms with similar traits.

Question 7

A group that consists of all the evolutionary descendants of a common ancestor is called

Accepted Answer

A)  a grade. 
B)  a taxon. 
C)  a homology. 
D)  an ingroup. 
E)  a clade.

Question 8

The evolutionary relationship among organisms is known as

Accepted Answer

A)  taxonomy. 
B)  phylogeny. 
C)  paraphyly. 
D)  synapomorphy. 
E)  homoplasy.

Question 9

To make inferences about the vision of the ancestor of birds, dinosaurs, and crocodiles, biologists have used phylogenetic methods to reconstruct a pigment called _______, which was involved in the ancestor's vision.

Accepted Answer

The answer of To make inferences about the vision of...

Question 10

Phylogenetic trees

Accepted Answer

A)  are rarely modified once constructed. 
B)  maximize the number of homoplasies. 
C)  are constructed using the parsimony principle. 
D)  are constructed from just one source of data. 
E)  are generally easy to construct.

Question 11

Use the following to answer questions :
Refer to the diagram below. 
-Which of the taxa in the diagram are monophyletic?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Use the following to answer questions :
Refer...

Question 12

The wasp genus Nasonia contains all of the descendants of the common ancestor of its members. This genus therefore would be called

Accepted Answer

A)  a synapomorphy. 
B)  a polyphyly. 
C)  a clade. 
D)  parsimonious. 
E)  self-compatible.

Question 13

In addition to the practice described above, biologists reconstructing phylogenies have also employed _______ methods, which make use of a mathematical model of evolutionary change.

Accepted Answer

The answer of In addition to the practice described above,...

Question 14

Which of the following is the most significant limitation of fossils as a source of information about evolutionary history?

Accepted Answer

A)  It is sometimes impossible to determine when a fossil organism lived. 
B)  The fossil record for many groups is fragmentary or even nonexistent. 
C)  Most fossils contain no nucleic acids or proteins and therefore are worthless for studies of molecular evolution. 
D)  It is impossible to determine if morphologically similar fossils belong to the same species, because one cannot know if the fossil species could have interbred. 
E)  Most fossils provide no information about the morphology of soft anatomical structures or about external characteristics such as color.

Question 15

A _______ is any group of organisms we name, whereas a _______ is a _______ that consists of all the evolutionary descendents of a common ancestor.

Accepted Answer

A)  taxon; clade; taxon 
B)  clade; taxon; sister clade 
C)  taxon; sister clade; clade 
D)  taxon; clade; sister clade 
E)  clade; sister clade; taxon

Question 16

A taxon that contains organisms that do not share a common ancestor is called

Accepted Answer

A)  a clade. 
B)  monophyletic. 
C)  polyphyletic. 
D)  homologous. 
E)  homoplastic.

Question 17

Flies have only a single pair of functional wings, but their ancestors had two pair of wings. Thus, having two pairs of wings is a(n) _______ trait.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Flies have only a single pair of...

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A)  All homoplastic traits are due to convergent evolution. 
B)  All homologous traits are homoplasies. 
C)  All synapomorphies are derived traits. 
D)  All derived traits are synapomorphies. 
E)  None of the above

Question 19

Shared derived traits are also known as

Accepted Answer

A)  homoplasies. 
B)  synapomorphies. 
C)  sympatries. 
D)  homologies. 
E)  paraphylies.

Question 20

Modern horses have a single toe on each foot, although their ancestors had feet with several digits. The single toe is thus a(n) _______ trait.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Modern horses have a single toe on...

Exam 22: Reconstructing and Using Phylogenies