Phylogenetics, Biodiversity, and Community Ecology - Flashcards

Flashcards covering phylogenetic terms, monophyly, parsimony, biodiversity metrics, coevolution, and community ecology concepts from the provided notes.

What is a phylogenetic tree?

A graphical depiction of evolutionary history (phylogeny).

What are homologous traits?

Traits inherited from the same common ancestor and observed in multiple species, ranging from a single nucleotide to body parts.

What is the root of a phylogenetic tree?

The base of the tree indicating the common ancestor of all the taxa at the tips.

What is a node in a phylogenetic tree?

A split where a speciation event occurs; represents the last common ancestor before the speciation. One species splits into two.

What is a branch in a phylogenetic tree?

A lineage changing through time.

What is a tip in a phylogenetic tree?

The end of a branch representing a taxon.

What is a taxon?

A named group of organisms (plural: taxa).

What is a monophyletic group?

An ancestor and all of its descendants.

What is a synapomorphy?

A trait shared by a group that is absent in others; defines monophyletic groups.

What is a homoplasy?

Similarity in traits not due to common ancestry but due to independent evolution.

What is an outgroup?

A lineage not part of the monophyletic group that is the focus of a phylogenetic tree.

What is parsimony?

The criterion that the simplest explanation is most likely to be correct.

What is species richness?

The number of species present.

What is species diversity?

The number of species present weighted by their evenness in abundance.

What is coevolution?

Adaptations that result from interactions between species over time, influenced by competition, mutualism, feeding interactions, or disease.

What is an exotic species?

A species not native to a region but introduced relatively recently by humans.

What is an invasive species?

An exotic species that outcompetes native species for space and other resources.

What are functional groups?

Groups of species with distinctive structures and/or perform distinctive functions in communities.

What is resilience?

The ability to recover from a disturbance.