BIS 2C Study Guide - Winter 2019, Comprehensive Midterm Notes - Synapomorphy, Speciation, Phylogenetic Tree
14 Feb 2019
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Document Summary
Current estimate of described species ~8. 7m with up to 80% yet to be named. Up to 86% of species are undescribed, with many discovered each year. Our discoveries are biased towards macroscopic life; new technology has accelerated the discovery of microbes . Phylogenies are powerful tools that help us make predictions about evolution, including topics related to human health. We can use phylogenies to map characteristics of organisms to better understand evolutionary process. We can understand our origins, make better decisions as a society, and realize our place on the tree of life. Phylogenies are figures that represent the ancestor-descendant relationships among a group of organisms. Basic model of speciation ; an ancestral lineages (a) splits into exactly two descendants (b and c). Successive speciation (splitting) events lead to more complex patterns of ancestor-descendant relationships. Taxa are at the tips; a taxon is any named group; taxa refers to multiple taxons.
