Question 1

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

Accepted Answer

A group that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants, but no others.

Question 2

Why are phylogenetic trees considered hypotheses rather than definitive representations of evolutionary history?

Accepted Answer

Because they are based on the best available data and can be revised as new information becomes available.

Question 3

A researcher is comparing the wings of bats and birds. Both have wings used for flight, but their last common ancestor did not have wings. What is this an example of?

Accepted Answer

Convergent evolution resulting in analogous structures.

Question 4

Which of the following is a synapomorphy for mammals?

Accepted Answer

Hair, because it is a derived trait shared by all mammals and their most recent common ancestor.

Question 5

Given a character matrix for four taxa, how many possible unrooted phylogenetic trees can be constructed?

Accepted Answer

$$15$$

Question 6

Which of the following biases in the fossil record would most likely result in an underrepresentation of soft-bodied organisms?

Accepted Answer

Tissue bias

Question 7

A group of species is defined by a shared derived trait that evolved only once in their common ancestor. According to cladistics, what is this trait called?

Accepted Answer

Synapomorphy

Question 8

Which of the following best explains why adaptive radiations often follow mass extinction events?

Accepted Answer

Mass extinctions open up ecological niches, allowing surviving lineages to diversify rapidly.

Question 9

Which of the following is NOT a requirement for a trait to be useful in constructing a phylogenetic tree?

Accepted Answer

The trait must be present in all living organisms.

Question 10

A phylogenetic tree shows that crocodiles and birds share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with lizards. What does this imply about their evolutionary relationship?

Accepted Answer

Crocodiles and birds are more closely related to each other than either is to lizards.

Question 11

Which of the following statements about mass extinctions is TRUE?

Accepted Answer

Mass extinctions are characterized by the rapid loss of at least 60% of species within a short geological time frame.

Question 12

Which of the following is an example of a paraphyletic group?

Accepted Answer

Reptiles, if birds are excluded from the group.

Question 13

Which of the following best describes the difference between homologous and analogous structures?

Accepted Answer

Homologous structures are inherited from a common ancestor, while analogous structures arise independently due to similar selective pressures.

Question 14

Which of the following is a key reason why DNA data is often preferred over morphological data in modern phylogenetic analyses?

Accepted Answer

DNA provides a much larger number of characters for analysis, increasing the resolution of phylogenetic trees.

Question 15

Which of the following is an example of an adaptive radiation?

Accepted Answer

The diversification of Darwin's finches on the Galápagos Islands into multiple species with different beak shapes.

Question 16

Which of the following best describes a polyphyletic group?

Accepted Answer

A group that includes descendants of two or more ancestors, but not all descendants of those ancestors.

Question 17

Which of the following is a major limitation of the fossil record in reconstructing evolutionary history?

Accepted Answer

Fossilization is rare and biased toward organisms with hard parts and those living in certain environments.

Question 18

Which of the following is the correct chronological order of the major eras in the Phanerozoic eon?

Accepted Answer

Paleozoic, Mesozoic, Cenozoic

Question 19

A scientist is using the principle of parsimony to construct a phylogenetic tree. What is she trying to achieve?

Accepted Answer

She is seeking the tree that requires the fewest evolutionary changes.

Phylogenies and Tree Thinking: Principles and Applications in Evolutionary Biology

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