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Bio117 CH27
Freeman Chapter 27 Vocab
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| phenetic approach | A method for constructing a phylogenetic tree by computing a statistic that summarizes the overall similarity among populations, based on the available data. Compare with cladistic approach. |
| ancestral trait | A trait found in ancestors. |
| derived trait | A trait that is clearly homologous with a trait found in an ancestor, but which has a new form. |
| cladistic approach | A method for constructing a phylogenetic tree that is based on identifying the unique traits of each monophyletic group. Compare with phenetic approach. |
| convergent evolution | The independent evolution of analogous traits in distantly related organisms due to adaptation to similar environments and a similar way of life. |
| homoplasy | Similarity among organisms of different species due to convergent evolution. Compare with homology. |
| phylogenetic tree | A diagram that depicts the evolutionary history of a group of species and the relationships among them. |
| phylogeny | The evolutionary history of a group of organisms. |
| branch | A part of a phylogenetic tree that represents populations through time. |
| node | In a phylogenetic tree, the point where two branches diverge, representing the point in time when an ancestral group split into two or more descendant groups. Also called fork. |
| tip | The end of a branch on a phylogenetic tree. Represents a specific species or larger taxon that has not (yet) produced descendants—either a group living today or a group that ended in extinction. Also called terminal node. |
| outgroup | A taxon that is closely related to a particular monophyletic group but is not part of it. |
| SINEs (short interspersed nuclear elements) | The second most abundant class of transposable elements in human genomes; can create copies of itself and insert them elsewhere in the genome. Compare with LINEs. |
| fossil | Any trace of an organism that existed in the past. Includes tracks, burrows, fossilized bones, casts, etc. |
| fossil record | All of the fossils that have been found anywhere on Earth and that have been formally described in the scientific literature. |
| cast | A type of fossil, formed when the decay of a body part leaves a void that is then filled with minerals that later harden. |
| paleontologists | Scientists who study the fossil record and the history of life. |
| Precambrian era | The interval between the formation of the Earth, about 4.6 billion years ago, and the appearance of most animal groups about 543 million years ago. Unicellular organisms were dominant for most of this era, and oxygen was virtually absent for the first 2 b |
| paleozoic era | The period of geologic time, from 543 million to 250 million years ago, during which fungi, land plants, and animals first appeared and diversified. Began with the Cambrian explosion and ended with the extinction of many invertebrates and vertebrates. |
| Mesozoic era | The period of geologic time, from 250 million to 65 million years ago, during which gymnosperms were the dominant plants and dinosaurs the dominant vertebrates. Ended with extinction of the dinosaurs. Also called Age of Reptiles. |
| Cenozoic era | The most recent period of geologic time, beginning 65 million years ago. during which mammals became the dominant vertebrates and angiosperms became the dominant plants. Also called Age of Mammals. |
| adaptive radiation | Rapid evolutionary diversification within one lineage, producing numerous descendant species with a wide range of adaptive forms. |
| background extinction | The average rate of low-level extinction that has occurred continuously throughout much of evolutionary history. Compare with mass extinction. |
| Cambrian explosion | The rapid diversification of animal body types that began about 543 million years ago and continued for approximately 40 million years. |
| fauna | All the animals characteristic of a particular region, period, or environment. |
| mass extinction | The extinction of a large number of diverse evolutionary groups during a relatively short period of geologic time (about 1 million years). May occur due to sudden and extraordinary environmental changes. Compare with background extinction. |
| niche | The particular set of habitat requirements of a certain species and the role that species plays in its ecosystem. |
| parsimony | The logical principle that the most likely explanation of a phenomenon is the most economical or simplest. When applied to comparison of alternative phylogenetic trees, it suggests that the one requiring the fewest evolutionary changes is most likely to b |
| synapomorphy | A shared, derived trait found in two or more taxa that is present in their most recent common ancestor but is missing in more distant ancestors. Useful for inferring evolutionary relationships. |
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Liwa91
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