What is taxonomy?
A system for naming and organizing organisms into hierarchical.
What is is taxon (plural: taxa)?
Any named group in the classification system (e.g. mammals, primates, humans).
What is the correct order of the Linnaean hierarchy (largest → smallest)?
Domain →Kingdom →Phylum →Class →Order →Family →Genus →Species
What mnemonic helps remember the Linnaean hierarchy?
Dear King Philip Came Over For Good Soup
What are the three domains of life?
Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya
What is the correct format for scientific names?
Genus capitalized, species lowercase, both italicized (e.g. Homo sapiens).
What is phylogeny
A graphical representation of evolutionary relationships between organisms
What does a node represent on a phylogenic tree?
A common ancestor (branch point where divergence occurs)
What is dichotomy?
A node that splits into two branches (speciation event)
What is polytomy?
A node with more that two branches (uncertain relationships)
What does a branch represent?
An evolutionary lineage
Where are the smallest taxa found on a phylogenetic tree?
At the tips of branches
What do larger taxa represent on a tree?
Groups that contain smaller taxa (bigger branches with more tips)
What are sister taxa?
Two taxa that share the most common ancestor
Does left to right position matter on a tree?
No. Only the branching patterns matters
Can two trees that look different show the same relationship?
Yes, if the branching pattern is the same
What is clasdistics?
A method of organizing species into clades based on shared characteristics
What is a clade?
A group consisting of a common ancestor and all its descendants
How is a clade represented in a phylogenic tree?
As a whole branch of the tree
What is an outgroup
A closely related taxon that diverged before the clade of interest
What makes a good outgroup?
It is closely related but clearly outside the clade
What is a basal taxon?
The first lineage to diverge within a clade
What is a shared ancestral character?
A trait in both the clade and outgroup (existed before the clade evolved)
What is a shared derived charter?
A trait present in the clade but NOT the outgroup (unique to the clade)
