Phylogeny - AP Biology

Evolution involving the merging of different lineages through hybridization. Creates network-like patterns rather than simple trees.

A species or group of species closely related but not part of the group under study. Used to root trees and determine character polarity.

A group that includes an ancestor but not all of its descendants. Creates artificial groups that exclude some descendants.

It measures evolutionary divergence between species or sequences. Quantifies how much species have diverged evolutionarily.

The movement of genes between unrelated species. Can complicate phylogenetic trees by mixing lineages.

A table showing the presence or absence of traits across taxa. Organizes trait data for phylogenetic analysis.

It estimates time of evolutionary events based on mutation rates. Assumes constant mutation rates to calculate divergence times.

A tree where all paths from the root to the leaves are of equal length. Assumes molecular clock with constant evolutionary rates.

Maximum likelihood or Bayesian inference methods. Statistical methods that evaluate multiple possible trees.

A diagram that represents hypotheses about the history of species divergence. Shows branching patterns of species through time.

Shared derived characters used to construct phylogenetic trees. Define clades by showing evolutionary novelties.

Molecular data, such as DNA, RNA, or protein sequences. DNA sequences provide objective measures of evolutionary change.

A character that originated in an ancestor of the taxon. Plesiomorphies are inherited from earlier common ancestors.

The pattern of trait resemblance among species due to shared ancestry. Strong signal indicates reliable phylogenetic inference.

It indicates a common ancestry among the organisms sharing it. Synapomorphies define clades and evolutionary relationships.

Similarity due to convergent evolution, not common ancestry. Can mislead phylogenetic analysis by suggesting false relationships.

A tree that summarizes the common features of a set of trees. Shows areas of agreement among different phylogenetic analyses.

Genes in different species that evolved from a common ancestral gene. Share common ancestry and similar functions across species.

A specific form or variation of a character (trait) in a species. Different expressions of the same trait across species.

A lineage that diverges early in the history of a group. Represents an early-branching evolutionary lineage.

A type of diagram that shows relationships among species based on shared characteristics. Focuses on branching patterns without time or rate information.

A branch point represents a common ancestor of the lineages that diverge from it. Also called a node; where lineages split in evolutionary time.

A diagram that represents evolutionary relationships among organisms. Branch patterns show how species diverged from common ancestors.

The root represents the most recent common ancestor of all taxa in the tree. The starting point showing the oldest common ancestor.

It can lead to analogous traits that may mislead phylogenetic inference. Creates homoplasy that obscures true evolutionary relationships.

Similarity in characteristics resulting from a shared ancestry. Indicates true evolutionary relationship from shared ancestry.

A group of organisms that consists of an ancestor and all its descendants. Same as a clade; represents natural evolutionary groups.

The simplest explanation or path with the least evolutionary changes is preferred. Minimizes assumptions about evolutionary change events.

Two descendants that split from the same node in a phylogenetic tree. Share the most recent common ancestor with each other.