Tree Thinking
This diagram represents evolutionary relationships between organisms.
What is a phylogenetic tree?
These are the species at the end of a phylogenetic tree.
What are tips (terminals)?
Similar traits due to shared ancestry are called this.
What is homology?
This describes when one organism lives inside another organism.
This type of cell lacks a nucleus and has circular chromosomes.
What is a prokaryotic cell?
Phylogenetic trees represent hypotheses about this.
What are evolutionary relationships between organisms?
These branching points represent ancestral species and speciation events.
What are nodes?
Structures with similar function but evolved independently are called this.
What are analogous structures?
These two organelles originated from endosymbiotic bacteria.
What are mitochondria and chloroplasts?
This type of cell has membrane-bound organelles and a nucleus.
What is a eukaryotic cell?
These diagrams show relationships among organisms or genes based on common descent.
What are phylogenies?
Two descendants that arise from the same node are called this.
What are sister groups?
Evolution of similar traits in unrelated species is called this.
What is convergent evolution?
Scientist who promoted the theory of serial endosymbiosis in 1967.
Who is Lynn Margulis?
Prokaryotes divide using this process.
What is binary fission?
Darwin used this metaphor to describe species diversification.
What is the tree of life?
A single complete branch of a phylogenetic tree is called this.
What is a clade?
These characters are used to infer phylogenies because they reflect traits inherited from a common ancestor.
What are homologous characters?
This theory explains that mitochondria and chloroplasts originated when early eukaryotic cells engulfed free-living bacteria.
What is the theory of serial endosymbiosis?
This cellular structure allows eukaryotic cells to move materials within the cell and contributes to cell movement.
What is the cytoskeleton?
Scientists say phylogenetic trees are hypotheses because they are based on this type of evidence that can change as new information is discovered.
What is existing data?
If branches around a node are rotated on a phylogenetic tree, this does not change this aspect of the organisms.
What are the evolutionary relationships between the organisms?
In tetrapods, forelimb bones are considered homologous even though they perform different functions in organisms like bats, whales, and humans because they share this.
What is a common ancestor?
One piece of evidence for the endosymbiotic origin of mitochondria and chloroplasts is that their ribosomes are most similar to those found in this type of organism.
What are bacteria?
Unlike prokaryotic cells, eukaryotic cells contain this set of membrane-bound structures, including the ER, Golgi apparatus, and lysosomes.
What is the endomembrane system?