Mastering biology chapter 26 Flashcards
Mastering biology chapter 26
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What is the primary focus of Chapter 26 in Mastering Biology?
Phylogeny and the Tree of Life. What is phylogeny?
The evolutionary history of a species or group of related species. What is a clade?
A group of species that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants. What is the purpose of a phylogenetic tree?
To show the evolutionary relationships among various biological species. What is a monophyletic group?
A group that consists of a single ancestral species and all its descendants. What is a paraphyletic group?
A group that consists of an ancestral species and some, but not all, of its descendants. What is a polyphyletic group?
A group that includes distantly related species but does not include their most recent common ancestor. What is homology?
Similarity due to shared ancestry. What is analogy?
Similarity due to convergent evolution, not common ancestry. What is the principle of maximum parsimony?
The simplest explanation that is consistent with the facts is preferred. What is a molecular clock?
A method that estimates the time required for a given amount of evolutionary change. What is horizontal gene transfer?
The movement of genes from one genome to another. What is the significance of ribosomal RNA in phylogenetic studies?
It is highly conserved and useful for studying evolutionary relationships. What is a sister taxa?
Groups of organisms that share an immediate common ancestor. What is the difference between a rooted and unrooted phylogenetic tree?
A rooted tree has a common ancestor, while an unrooted tree does not. What is the role of outgroups in phylogenetic analysis?
To help determine the evolutionary relationships of the ingroup. What is cladistics?
A method of classification based on common ancestry. What is the significance of branch length in a phylogenetic tree?
It can represent the amount of genetic change or time. What is a basal taxon?
A lineage that diverges early in the history of a group. What is the importance of morphological data in phylogenetic studies?
It provides physical evidence of evolutionary relationships. What is the difference between orthologous and paralogous genes?
Orthologous genes are found in different species, paralogous genes are found within the same species. What is the significance of gene duplication in evolution?
It can lead to new functions and increased complexity. What is the role of bioinformatics in phylogenetic analysis?
To analyze and interpret biological data, such as DNA sequences. What is the significance of the Cambrian explosion in evolutionary history?
A period of rapid diversification of life forms. What is the difference between a phylogenetic tree and a cladogram?
A phylogenetic tree shows evolutionary relationships, a cladogram shows branching order.