Chapter 16 Reconstructing and Using Phylogenetic Trees

Vocab
Ancestral trait The trait originally present in the ancestor of a given group; may be
retained or changed in the descendants of that ancestor.
Binomial nomenclature A taxonomic naming system in which each species is given two
names (a genus name followed by a species name).
Clade A monophyletic group made up of an ancestor and all of its descendants.
Class the clusters that orders go into
Convergent evolution Independent evolution of similar features from different ancestral
traits.
Derived trait A trait that differs from the ancestral trait.
Evolutionary reversal The reappearance of an ancestral trait in a group that had
previously acquired a derived trait.
Family The taxon above the genus in the Linnaean system
Genus A group of related, similar species recognized by taxonomists with a distinct
name used in binomial nomenclature.
Homologous A similarity between two or more features that is due to inheritance from
a common ancestor.
Homoplasies The presence in multiple groups of a trait that is not inherited from the
common ancestor of those groups. Can result from convergent evolution, evolutionary reversal,
or parallel evolution.
Ingroup In a phylogenetic study, the group of organisms of primary interest.
Kingdom the group that phylas go into
Lineage A series of populations, species, or genes descended from a single ancestor
over evolutionary time.
Maximum likelihood A statistical method of determining which of two or more
hypotheses (such as phylogenetic trees) best fit the observed data, given an explicit model of
how the data were generated.
Molecular clock The approximately constant rate of divergence of macromolecules
from one another over evolutionary time; used to date past events in evolutionary history.

Monophyletic Pertaining to a group that consists of an ancestor and all of its

descendants.
Orders the clusters that families are grouped into
Paraphyletic Pertaining to a group that consists of an ancestor and some, but not all, of
its descendants.
Parsimony principle Preferring the simplest among a set of plausible explanations of
any phenomenon.
Phyla the clusters classes are grouped into
Phylogenetic tree A graphic representation of lines of descent among organisms or their
genes.
Phylogeny The evolutionary history of a particular group of organisms or their genes.
Polyphyletic Pertaining to a group that consists of multiple distantly related organisms,
and does not include the common ancestor of the group.
Sister clade Two phylogenetic groups that are each other's closest relatives.
Sister species Two species that are each other's closest relatives.
Synapomorphies A trait that arose in the ancestor of a phylogenetic group and is
present (sometimes in modified form) in all of its members, thus helping to delimit and identify
that group. Also called a shared derived trait.
Systematics The scientific study of the diversity and relationships among organisms.
Taxon A biological group (typically a species or a clade) that is given a name.

Practice
1. Synapomorphies are traits that arose in the ancestor of a phylogenetic group and are
present in all of its members, thus helping to delimit and identify that group. They come
from similar derived traits in related species.
2. A phylogenetic tree is a graphic representation of lines of descent among organisms or
their genes. They are created by technology that compares traits.
3. A clade is a monophyletic group made up of an ancestor and all of its descendants. Sister
species, two species that are each other's closest relatives, are a part of the same clade
which can have a sister clade that it is most similar to.

4. Species is the most specific identification of an organism. Species are then grouped into
genus which is grouped into less specific groups, family, order, class, plylum, and
kingdom.

5. Phylogenetic trees show the evolutionary relationship of each species, whereas the
Linnean system groups organisms based on relationships.
6. Convergent evolution is when similar traits are derived from nonrelated groups, like bird
and bat wings.
7. When evolutionary reversal occurs the selective pressures favors ancestral traits over the
derived traits.
8. Homoplacies are traits that are similar but derived independently, whereas homologies
are traits that are derived from a common ancestor.
9. The bones in bats and birds wings are homologous; however, the wings are homoplacies
because they both have species they are more related to without wings.
10. The ingroup is the group that is being studied, and the out group is the closest relative of
the ingroup. The out group is used to determine which traits are derived.

11. Parsimony principle states that evolution most likely occurred the simplest way with the
least amount of homoplacies. This means we assume a trait only evolve the least amount
of possible times.
12. Evolutionary relationships are the source used to make phylogenetic trees. These
relationships are revealed in morphology, development, behavior, and molecular data.
13. Phylogenetic trees are useful in the study of transmission of pathogens. Also, They can
help explain the diversity of viruses like HIV. A phylogenetic analysis shows that
humans acquired the HIV-1 virus from chimps and the HIV-2 virus from mangabeys.
14.

Practice
1. The sunflower and pine tree are the most related.
2. The megaphylls group is the sister group of seed plants.
3. True roots and vascular cells evolved along the same branch.
4. No, there arent any homoplacies
Stonewort

Liverwort

Sphagnum
moss

Hornwort

Club moss

Bracken fern

Pine tree

Sunflower