Tag the questions with any skills you have. Your dashboard will track each student's mastery of each skill.
Give this quiz to my class
Q 1/10
Score 0
In a rooted phylogenetic tree, which of the following provides the most accurate evidence that two species are more closely related to each other than to a third species?
30
They are positioned physically closer to each other on the terminal tips of the phylogenetic tree diagram.
The length of the branches connecting them to the root of the tree is identical.
They share a more recent common ancestor with each other than they do with the third species.
They share more analogous structures resulting from convergent evolution in similar environments.
Q 2/10
Score 0
Which of the following statements best describes the significance of a 'node' on a phylogenetic tree?
30
It indicates the point in time when a species went extinct without leaving any descendants.
It represents the most recent common ancestor of the lineages that diverge from that point.
It represents a location where two different species hybridized to form a new polyploid lineage.
It signifies that the rate of evolution was for both resulting daughter lineages.
10 questions
Q.
In a rooted phylogenetic tree, which of the following provides the most accurate evidence that two species are more closely related to each other than to a third species?
1
30 sec
Q.
Which of the following statements best describes the significance of a 'node' on a phylogenetic tree?
2
30 sec
Q.
If a phylogenetic tree contains a 'polytomy', what does this specifically indicate to a researcher?
3
30 sec
Q.
Two different phylogenetic trees show different branching patterns for the same set of species. Tree A is based on morphological similarities, while Tree B is based on DNA sequence analysis of highly conserved proteins. Which of the following is the most scientifically sound reason to favor the topology of Tree B over Tree A?
4
30 sec
Q.
When interpreting a phylogenetic tree, what is the primary difference between a 'monophyletic' group (clade) and a 'paraphyletic' group?
5
30 sec
Q.
Which of the following describes the most parsimonious phylogenetic tree when comparing several different hypothetical trees for the same group of species?
6
30 sec
Q.
In a phylogenetic tree, the 'outgroup' is a taxon that is closely related to the groups under study but branched off earlier than the 'ingroup' taxa. What is the primary purpose of including an outgroup in a phylogenetic analysis?
7
30 sec
Q.
Suppose two species, A and B, share a specific synapomorphy (shared derived character) that is not found in species C. According to the principle of maximum parsimony, what is the most likely relationship between these taxa?
8
30 sec
Q.
Two lineages, the birds and the bats, both possess wings for flight. However, a phylogenetic tree of the Tetrapoda indicates that their common ancestor was a flightless terrestrial reptile. In this context, what do the wings of birds and bats represent?
9
30 sec
Q.
An investigator is analyzing a phylogenetic tree where the lengths of the branches are proportional to the amount of genetic change that has occurred in each lineage. If the branch leading to Species A is significantly longer than the branch leading to its sister taxon, Species B, what does this most likely suggest?
