Phylogeny and the Tree of Life Lecture Notes

These flashcards cover key vocabulary and concepts related to phylogeny and evolutionary biology discussed in the lecture.

Phylogeny

The history of the evolution of a species or group of related species.

Tree of Life

A metaphor describing the relationships of all living organisms, illustrating diversity through evolution.

Clade

A group of organisms that includes a most recent common ancestor and all its descendants.

MRCA (Most Recent Common Ancestor)

The closest shared ancestor from which species in a clade are descended.

Sister Taxa

Two species or groups that are each other's closest relatives on a phylogenetic tree.

Homology

Shared characters inherited from a common ancestor.

Synapomorphy

A shared, derived trait used to define a clade.

Monophyletic

A group of organisms that includes a single ancestor and all its descendants.

Paraphyletic

A group that includes a common ancestor but not all of its descendants.

Polyphyletic

A group that does not include the most recent common ancestor of the group members.

Outgroup

A species or group of species that is closely related to the ingroup but not part of it, used to help determine ancestral traits.