Chapter 24 & 25- Macroevolution

Phylogeny

Demonstrates the evolutionary history of a species or groups of species, showing patterns of descent without indicating when species evolved.

Taxonomy

A system created to order the division and naming of organisms.

Binomial nomenclature

A two-part naming system for species consisting of the genus name and the specific epithet.

Taxa/Taxon

Named group of organisms.

Branch Point

Represents the divergence of two taxa from a common ancestor.

Clade

Group of species that includes an ancestral species and all its descendants.

Basal Taxon

Diverged early in the history of a group and is located near the common ancestor of the group.

Sister Taxa

Groups that share an immediate ancestor.

Outgroup

Species closely related to the ingroup that is being studied.

Homology

Similarity due to shared ancestry or divergent evolution.

Analogy

Similarity due to convergent evolution; similar environments lead unrelated species to develop similar traits.

Molecular Homologies

Based on similarity at the DNA or protein level, with phylogenetic trees reflecting genetic changes.

Homoplasies

Examples of similar phenotypes/characteristics between unrelated organisms.

Shared Ancestral Characters

Characteristics that originated in an ancestor of a taxon.

Shared Derived Characters

Evolutionary novelties unique to a clade or taxon.

Maximum Parsimony

A method for creating a family tree by choosing the simplest explanation with the fewest changes in traits or DNA.