phylogenetics

Question 1

uses of phylogeny

Answer 1

• taxonomy, shows ancestral relationships and describes evolutionary history
• evolutionary biology
• conservation biology

Question 2

phylogenetic trees, resolution

Answer 2

• number of branches from an internal node
• polytomy = node with more than three branches
• fully resolved tree contains no polytomies

Question 3

hard polytomy

Answer 3

• all descendants evolved simultaneously and independently, possibly due to geographical isolation

Question 4

soft polytomy

Answer 4

• order of divergence is unknown, not enough data
• often the case with historical data

Question 5

phylogenetic trees, cladograms

Answer 5

• most basic tree
• shows relative recency of common ancestor

Question 6

phylogenetic tees, additive tree

Answer 6

• branch tips at varying distance from root
• branch length shows number of evolutionary changes

Question 7

phylogenetic tree, ultrametric tree

Answer 7

• type of additive tree
• tips of branches equidistant from root
• branch lengths equal time since common ancestor