Organizing Life on Earth Quiz

PDF page 817: In prior chapters we explored how all organisms on Earth, extant and extinct, evolved from common ancestry. Supporting this claim are core features and processes, such as a common genetic code and metabolic pathways, which evolved billions of years ago and are widely distributed among organisms living today. The evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or a group of organisms is called phylogeny. Scientists often construct phylogenetic trees based on evidence drawn from multiple disciplines to illustrate evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. Scientists historically organized Earth’s millions of species into a hierarchical taxonomic classification system from the most inclusive category to the most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. The traditional five-kingdom system that you might have studied in middle school was expanded (and reorganized) to include three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, with prokaryotes divided between Bacteria or Archaea depending on their molecular genetic machinery, and protists, fungi, plants, and animals grouped in Eukarya. Today, however, phylogenetic trees provide more specific information about evolutionary history and relationships among organisms. (For the purpose of

PDF page 817: In prior chapters we explored how all organisms on Earth, extant and extinct, evolved from common ancestry. Supporting this claim are core features and processes, such as a common genetic code and metabolic pathways, which evolved billions of years ago and are widely distributed among organisms living today. The evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or a group of organisms is called phylogeny. Scientists often construct phylogenetic trees based on evidence drawn from multiple disciplines to illustrate evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. Scientists historically organized Earth’s millions of species into a hierarchical taxonomic classification system from the most inclusive category to the most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. The traditional five-kingdom system that you might have studied in middle school was expanded (and reorganized) to include three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, with prokaryotes divided between Bacteria or Archaea depending on their molecular genetic machinery, and protists, fungi, plants, and animals grouped in Eukarya. Today, however, phylogenetic trees provide more specific information about evolutionary history and relationships among organisms. (For the purpose of

PDF page 817: In prior chapters we explored how all organisms on Earth, extant and extinct, evolved from common ancestry. Supporting this claim are core features and processes, such as a common genetic code and metabolic pathways, which evolved billions of years ago and are widely distributed among organisms living today. The evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or a group of organisms is called phylogeny. Scientists often construct phylogenetic trees based on evidence drawn from multiple disciplines to illustrate evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. Scientists historically organized Earth’s millions of species into a hierarchical taxonomic classification system from the most inclusive category to the most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. The traditional five-kingdom system that you might have studied in middle school was expanded (and reorganized) to include three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, with prokaryotes divided between Bacteria or Archaea depending on their molecular genetic machinery, and protists, fungi, plants, and animals grouped in Eukarya. Today, however, phylogenetic trees provide more specific information about evolutionary history and relationships among organisms. (For the purpose of

PDF page 818: Scientists use a tool called a phylogenetic tree to show the evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram used to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms. Scientists consider phylogenetic trees to be a hypothesis of the evolutionary past since one cannot go back to confirm the proposed relationships. In other words, a “tree of life” can be constructed to illustrate when different organisms evolved and to show the relationships among different organisms (Figure 20.2). Unlike a taxonomic classification diagram, a phylogenetic tree can be read like a map of evolutionary history. Many phylogenetic trees have a single lineage at the base representing a common ancestor. Scientists call such trees rooted, which means there is a single ancestral lineage (typically drawn from the bottom or left) to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate. Notice in the rooted phylogenetic tree that the three domains— Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—diverge from a single point and branch off. The small branch that plants and animals (including humans) occupy in this diagram shows how recent and miniscule these groups are compared with other organisms. Unrooted trees don’t show a common ancestor but do show relationships among species.

PDF page 817: In prior chapters we explored how all organisms on Earth, extant and extinct, evolved from common ancestry. Supporting this claim are core features and processes, such as a common genetic code and metabolic pathways, which evolved billions of years ago and are widely distributed among organisms living today. The evolutionary history and relationship of an organism or a group of organisms is called phylogeny. Scientists often construct phylogenetic trees based on evidence drawn from multiple disciplines to illustrate evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. Scientists historically organized Earth’s millions of species into a hierarchical taxonomic classification system from the most inclusive category to the most specific: domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. The traditional five-kingdom system that you might have studied in middle school was expanded (and reorganized) to include three domains: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya, with prokaryotes divided between Bacteria or Archaea depending on their molecular genetic machinery, and protists, fungi, plants, and animals grouped in Eukarya. Today, however, phylogenetic trees provide more specific information about evolutionary history and relationships among organisms. (For the purpose of

PDF page 818: Scientists use a tool called a phylogenetic tree to show the evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram used to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms. Scientists consider phylogenetic trees to be a hypothesis of the evolutionary past since one cannot go back to confirm the proposed relationships. In other words, a “tree of life” can be constructed to illustrate when different organisms evolved and to show the relationships among different organisms (Figure 20.2). Unlike a taxonomic classification diagram, a phylogenetic tree can be read like a map of evolutionary history. Many phylogenetic trees have a single lineage at the base representing a common ancestor. Scientists call such trees rooted, which means there is a single ancestral lineage (typically drawn from the bottom or left) to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate. Notice in the rooted phylogenetic tree that the three domains— Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—diverge from a single point and branch off. The small branch that plants and animals (including humans) occupy in this diagram shows how recent and miniscule these groups are compared with other organisms. Unrooted trees don’t show a common ancestor but do show relationships among species.

PDF page 818: Scientists use a tool called a phylogenetic tree to show the evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram used to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms. Scientists consider phylogenetic trees to be a hypothesis of the evolutionary past since one cannot go back to confirm the proposed relationships. In other words, a “tree of life” can be constructed to illustrate when different organisms evolved and to show the relationships among different organisms (Figure 20.2). Unlike a taxonomic classification diagram, a phylogenetic tree can be read like a map of evolutionary history. Many phylogenetic trees have a single lineage at the base representing a common ancestor. Scientists call such trees rooted, which means there is a single ancestral lineage (typically drawn from the bottom or left) to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate. Notice in the rooted phylogenetic tree that the three domains— Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—diverge from a single point and branch off. The small branch that plants and animals (including humans) occupy in this diagram shows how recent and miniscule these groups are compared with other organisms. Unrooted trees don’t show a common ancestor but do show relationships among species.

PDF page 818: Scientists use a tool called a phylogenetic tree to show the evolutionary pathways and connections among organisms. A phylogenetic tree is a diagram used to reflect evolutionary relationships among organisms or groups of organisms. Scientists consider phylogenetic trees to be a hypothesis of the evolutionary past since one cannot go back to confirm the proposed relationships. In other words, a “tree of life” can be constructed to illustrate when different organisms evolved and to show the relationships among different organisms (Figure 20.2). Unlike a taxonomic classification diagram, a phylogenetic tree can be read like a map of evolutionary history. Many phylogenetic trees have a single lineage at the base representing a common ancestor. Scientists call such trees rooted, which means there is a single ancestral lineage (typically drawn from the bottom or left) to which all organisms represented in the diagram relate. Notice in the rooted phylogenetic tree that the three domains— Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya—diverge from a single point and branch off. The small branch that plants and animals (including humans) occupy in this diagram shows how recent and miniscule these groups are compared with other organisms. Unrooted trees don’t show a common ancestor but do show relationships among species.

PDF page 818: In a rooted tree, the branching indicates evolutionary relationships (Figure 20.3). The point where a split occurs, called a branch point, represents where a single lineage evolved into a distinct new one. A lineage that evolved early from the root and remains unbranched is called basal taxon. When two lineages stem from the same branch point, they are called sister taxa. A branch with more than two lineages is called a polytomy and serves to illustrate where scientists have not definitively determined all of the relationships. It is important to note that although sister taxa and polytomy do share an ancestor, it does not mean that the groups of organisms split or evolved from each other. Organisms in two taxa may have split apart at a specific branch point, but neither taxa gave rise to the other.

PDF page 818: In a rooted tree, the branching indicates evolutionary relationships (Figure 20.3). The point where a split occurs, called a branch point, represents where a single lineage evolved into a distinct new one. A lineage that evolved early from the root and remains unbranched is called basal taxon. When two lineages stem from the same branch point, they are called sister taxa. A branch with more than two lineages is called a polytomy and serves to illustrate where scientists have not definitively determined all of the relationships. It is important to note that although sister taxa and polytomy do share an ancestor, it does not mean that the groups of organisms split or evolved from each other. Organisms in two taxa may have split apart at a specific branch point, but neither taxa gave rise to the other.

PDF page 818: In a rooted tree, the branching indicates evolutionary relationships (Figure 20.3). The point where a split occurs, called a branch point, represents where a single lineage evolved into a distinct new one. A lineage that evolved early from the root and remains unbranched is called basal taxon. When two lineages stem from the same branch point, they are called sister taxa. A branch with more than two lineages is called a polytomy and serves to illustrate where scientists have not definitively determined all of the relationships. It is important to note that although sister taxa and polytomy do share an ancestor, it does not mean that the groups of organisms split or evolved from each other. Organisms in two taxa may have split apart at a specific branch point, but neither taxa gave rise to the other.

PDF page 818: In a rooted tree, the branching indicates evolutionary relationships (Figure 20.3). The point where a split occurs, called a branch point, represents where a single lineage evolved into a distinct new one. A lineage that evolved early from the root and remains unbranched is called basal taxon. When two lineages stem from the same branch point, they are called sister taxa. A branch with more than two lineages is called a polytomy and serves to illustrate where scientists have not definitively determined all of the relationships. It is important to note that although sister taxa and polytomy do share an ancestor, it does not mean that the groups of organisms split or evolved from each other. Organisms in two taxa may have split apart at a specific branch point, but neither taxa gave rise to the other.

PDF page 819: The diagrams above can serve as a pathway to understanding evolutionary history. The pathway can be traced from the origin of life to any individual species by navigating through the evolutionary branches between the two points. Also, by starting with a single species and tracing back towards the "trunk" of the tree, one can discover that species' ancestors, as well as where lineages share a common ancestry. In addition, the tree can be used to study entire groups of organisms. Another point to mention on phylogenetic tree structure is that rotation at branch points does not change the information. For example, if a branch point was rotated and the taxon order changed, this would not alter the information because the evolution of each taxon from the branch point was independent of the other. Many disciplines within the study of biology contribute to understanding how past and present life evolved over time; these disciplines together contribute to building, updating, and maintaining the “tree of life.” Information is used to organize and classify organisms based on evolutionary relationships in a scientific field called systematics. Data may be collected from fossils, from studying the structure of body parts or molecules used by an organism, and by DNA analysis. By combining data from many sources, scientists can put together the phylogeny of an organism; since phylogenetic trees are hypotheses, they will continue to change as new types of life are discovered and new information is learned.