Chapter 22 - Evolutionary Patterns

phylogenetic tree

A branching diagram that represents a hypothesis about the evolutionary history of a group of organisms

- built on the basis of shared derived characters

phylogeny

Evolutionary history of a species

monophyletic

includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants

sister groups

groups that are more closely related to each other than either of them is to any other group

paraphyletic

includes a common ancestor and some, but not all, of its descendants

polyphyletic

does not include the common ancestor

Three domains of life

Bacteria, Archaea, Eukarya

Synapomorphy

shared derived character

trace fossils

A type of fossil that is an imprint from organisms without hard parts

carbon dating

a scientific method of determining the age of an artifact

- tracks free neutrons