BIOL 2P05 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Phylogenetic Tree, Divergent Evolution, Polyphyly
28 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Derived traits synapomorphy (shared), (apomorphies), ancestral traits (plesiomorphies) Classification of life based on similar traits reveals patterns that reflect evolutionary history: the patterns of ancestry and descent. Phylogeny is the branching pattern of relatedness in groups of organisms: the evolutionary history. Phylogenetic relationships are represented in a graphical form as phylogenetic trees. A group of related organisms in a phylogeny is called a taxon. Systematics is the science of determining the evolutionary history and adaptations of a species or group of related species. The science of organising living things into groups (which reflect their phylogenetic relationships) is called taxonomy. It encompasses the description, identification, nomenclature, and classification of organisms. Branching pattern showing relatedness relationships between species (or higher taxa) based on their shared common ancestors. Many traits are used to create a phylogeny; less well understood traits can be mapped on a phylogeny to understand important evolutionary events. When a phylogeny is created, it is a hypothesis of evolutionary history.
