Question 1

Which of the following best describes a monophyletic group in a phylogenetic tree?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestral species and all of its descendants.

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of homologous structures?

Accepted Answer

The forelimbs of humans and bats, which share similar bone structure due to common ancestry.

Question 3

In the Linnaean classification system, which taxonomic rank is immediately broader than 'Family'?

Accepted Answer

Order

Question 4

Which statement correctly distinguishes between orthologous and paralogous genes?

Accepted Answer

Orthologous genes result from speciation events and are found in different species, while paralogous genes result from gene duplication within a species.

Question 5

A molecular clock is calibrated by graphing the number of genetic differences in a gene against:

Accepted Answer

Dates of branch points known from the fossil record.

Question 6

Which of the following best explains why analogous structures can be misleading in phylogenetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

Analogous structures arise from convergent evolution, not common ancestry, and may suggest false evolutionary relationships.

Question 7

Which principle is used to select the simplest phylogenetic tree that explains the observed data?

Accepted Answer

Maximum parsimony

Question 8

If a group contains an ancestral species and some, but not all, of its descendants, it is called:

Accepted Answer

Paraphyletic

Question 9

Which of the following is a limitation of the molecular clock method?

Accepted Answer

Some genes evolve in irregular bursts and at different rates in different taxa.

Question 10

Which scenario best illustrates the concept of maximum likelihood in phylogenetic analysis?

Accepted Answer

Selecting the tree most likely to have produced a given set of DNA data based on probability rules about nucleotide substitutions.

Question 11

Which of the following is an example of a derived character in a clade?

Accepted Answer

A trait that is unique to a particular clade and not found in its ancestors.

Question 12

Which of the following statements about gene families is correct?

Accepted Answer

Gene duplication leads to gene families, which are groups of related genes within a genome.

Question 13

Why are orthologous genes useful for inferring phylogeny?

Accepted Answer

They reflect the history of speciation events between species.

Question 14

Which of the following best describes a polyphyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes distantly related species but not their most recent common ancestor.

Question 15

In a real-world scenario, which of the following would be considered an analogous trait?

Accepted Answer

The wings of bats and insects, which evolved independently for flight.

Question 16

If humans and mice diverged about 65 million years ago and share 99% orthologous genes, what does this suggest about their evolutionary relationship?

Accepted Answer

They share a relatively recent common ancestor and have conserved many genes.

Question 17

Which equation best represents the relationship used in molecular clocks for orthologous genes?

Accepted Answer

$$N = r 	imes T$$

Question 18

A researcher is constructing a phylogenetic tree using DNA sequences. Which method should they use to minimize the number of base changes required?

Accepted Answer

Maximum parsimony

Question 19

Which of the following statements about genome evolution is supported by the study materials?

Accepted Answer

Gene number does not increase at the same rate as phenotypic complexity.

Question 20

Which of the following is a correct sequence of taxonomic ranks from broadest to most specific?

Accepted Answer

Domain, Kingdom, Phylum, Class, Order, Family, Genus, Species

Phylogeny and the Tree of Life (Chapter 26): Classification, Cladistics, and Molecular Evolution

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