Openstax Biology - Chapter 20 - Phylogenies & The History Of Life

Front 1

analogy

Back 1

characteristic that is similar between organisms by convergent evolution, not due to the same evolutionary path; also known as homoplasy

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basal taxon

Back 2

branch on a phylogenetic tree that has not diverged significantly from the root ancestor

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binomial nomenclature

Back 3

system of two-part scientific names for an organism, which includesgenus and species names

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branch point

Back 4

node on a phylogenetic tree where a single lineage splits into distinct new ones

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cladistics

Back 5

system used to organize homologous traits to describe phylogenies

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class

Back 6

subdivision of phylum in the taxonomic classification system

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eukaryote-first hypothesis

Back 7

proposal that prokaryotes evolved from eukaryotes

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family

Back 8

subdivision of order in the taxonomic classification system

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gene transfer agent

Back 9

bacteriophage-like particle that transfers random genomic segments from one species of prokaryote to another; also known as GTA

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genome fusion

Back 10

fusion of two prokaryotic genomes, presumably by endosymbiosis

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genus

Back 11

subdivision of family in the taxonomic classification system; the first part of the binomial scientific name; plural = genera

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horizontal gene transfer

Back 12

transfer of genes between unrelated species; also known as HGT, or lateral gene transfer

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kingdom

Back 13

subdivision of domain in the taxonomic classification system

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maximum parsimony

Back 14

applying the simplest, most obvious way with the least number of steps

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mitochondria-first hypothesis

Back 15

proposal that prokaryotes acquired a mitochondrion first, followed by nuclear development

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molecular systematics

Back 16

technique using molecular evidence to identify phylogenetic relationships

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monophyletic group

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organisms that share a single ancestor; also known as clade

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nucleus-first hypothesis

Back 18

proposal that prokaryotes acquired a nucleus first, and then the mitochondrion

Front 19

order

Back 19

subdivision of class in the taxonomic classification system

Front 20

phylogenetic tree

Back 20

diagram used to reflect the evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms

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phylogeny

Back 21

evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or group of organisms

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phylum

Back 22

subdivision of kingdom in the taxonomic classification system; plural = phyla

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polytomy

Back 23

branch on a phylogenetic tree with more than two groups or taxa

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ring of life

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phylogenetic model where all three domains of life evolved from a pool of primitive prokaryotes

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rooted

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single ancestral lineage on a phylogenetic tree to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate

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shared ancestral character

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describes a characteristic on a phylogenetic tree that is shared by all organisms on the tree

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shared derived character

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describes a characteristic on a phylogenetic tree that is shared only by a certain clade of organisms

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sister taxa

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two lineages that diverged from the same branch point

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systematics

Back 29

field of organizing and classifying organisms based on evolutionary relationships

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taxon

Back 30

single level in the taxonomic classification system; plural = taxa

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taxonomy

Back 31

science of classifying organisms

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web of life

Back 32

phylogenetic model that attempts to incorporate the effects of horizontal gene transfer on evolution