Vertebrate Zoology Overview

These flashcards cover essential terminology and concepts related to vertebrate zoology and evolutionary biology.

Zoology

The study of animals.

Phylogenetic Methods

Techniques used to study the evolutionary relationships among various biological species or entities.

Vertebrates

Animals belonging to the phylum Chordata that possess a backbone.

Synapomorphy

A shared, derived trait that is used to define monophyletic groups.

Homologous Traits

Traits that are shared between species due to common ancestry.

Character Matrix

A table that displays the presence or absence of traits across different taxa for the purpose of constructing phylogenetic trees.

Clade

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

Sister Taxa

Two species or clades that are each other's closest relatives.

Natural Selection

The process through which species adapt to their environment; a mechanism of evolution.

Monophyletic Group

A group of organisms that consists of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants.