Vocabulary
The study of evolutionary relationships among organisms.
What is phylogeny?
The lines that connect organisms in a tree.
What are branches?
A tree that shows relationships but not time.
What is a cladogram?
Molecule used to compare organisms genetically.
What is DNA?
Internal nodes represent this in evolution.
What are ancestors/speciation events?
A diagram that shows evolutionary relationships between species.
What is a phylogenetic tree?
The point where two branches split.
What is a node?
An unrooted tree without a common ancestor shown.
What is a phenogram?
More similar DNA means organisms are this.
What is more closely related?
Terminal nodes are also called this.
What are OTUs (Operational Taxonomic Units)?
A group of organisms that share a common ancestor.
What is a clade?
The base of the tree representing the common ancestor.
What is the root?
A tree where branch lengths vary to show differences.
What is an additive tree (phylogram)?
Genes that control body structure and development.
What are Hox genes?
Internal nodes are also called this.
What are HTUs (Hypothetical Taxonomic Units)?
A group used as a reference point that branched off earlier.
What is an outgroup?
The ends of branches representing current species.
What are tips (terminal nodes)?
A tree where all tips are the same distance from the root.
What are rooted vs. unrooted trees?
Proteins are made up of these building blocks.
What are amino acids?
Mutations in these genes can cause body parts to grow incorrectly.
What are Hox genes?
The original ancestor of all living organisms.
What is LUCA?
Two groups that share a recent common ancestor.
What are sister groups?
Trees that show a common ancestor vs. those that don’t.
What are rooted vs. unrooted trees?
A DNA sequence shared by all life forms traces back to this ancestor.
What is LUCA?
The principle that all organisms descended from a common ancestor.
What is descent with modification?