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| The comparative study of biological diversity. The purpose of systematics is to detect, describe and explain biological diversity in terms of relationships among organisms. |
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| The theory and practice of ordering diversity into a system for information storage and retrieval. Traditionally organisms are often grouped based upon arbitrary and subjective criteria, such as whether or not they are considered useful to humans. |
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| Unit of biological diversity |
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| The genealogical or evolutionary history of a lineage of organisms |
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| The study of evolutionary relationships among taxa. Biologists use the historical pattern of evolutionary relationships of taxa as a basis for classyfying them into a hierarchically arranged phylogenetic system (smaller groups of taxa are nested within larger groups) based on shared common ancestry. |
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| Stick figure. Branching points on the cladogram indicate the presence of an ancestor. Relative time is read from lowest branches (oldest) to top branches (youngest) - represented vertically. |
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| Each ancestor and al of its decendants. A hierarchcal organization of monophyletic taxa arises from the fact that some organisms share a more recent commmon ancestor with each other than with other organisms. Only one recognized by phylogenetic systematics because they are the kinds of groups produced by evolution. Are natural through the processes of evolution, nature provides ancestors from whom we may trace all descendants. |
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| The hierarchy of phylogenetic classification takes the form of nested groups. |
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| heritable attributes that are passed from ancestors to descendants; provide information about the relative closeness of taxa (recent v. distant); can be anatomical, behavioral, or molecular |
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| Fundamentals of phylogenetic systematics |
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1. Discovering evolutionary relationships by analyzing the characteristics of taxa
2. Organizing taxa into a system of nested groups containing an ancestor and all of its decendants
3. Using a cladogram to convey the above information |
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| Environmental factors prevent populations from interbreeding; two separate reproductively isolated lineages are created (shown as a Y-shaped bifurcation) |
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| branches in a fan pattern; used to illustrate uncertain or unresolved relationships among taxa |
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| Taxa named at the end of branches; represent monophyletic groups which may contain any number of other monophyletic groups - depending on the relationships within that group |
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| Branch intersections; represent the common ancestor of all taxa that branch above them |
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| Taxa that share a recent common ancestor; considered to be each other's closest relatives |
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| Shared ancestral characters inherited from a distant ancestor; tell us nothing about the relationships among these taxa |
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| Derived characters that are evolutionary novelties that arose in a recent ancestor of a given taxon |
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| Shared derived characters that present in the common ancestor of more than one taxon on the cladogram; can become a plesiomorphy |
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| Uniquely derived characters that are observed on only one taxon on the cladogram; can become synapomorphies |
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| A way of discovering whether an organism belongs to a particular taxon, and ultimately, of discovering entire phylogenies |
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1. Skeleton made of bone and cartilage (Vertebral column, Branchial arches, Skull, Specialized mouth parts)
2. Sophisticated nervous system (Sense of smell, distinct brain, otic system, optic system, lateral line system)
3. Improved circulatory and respiratory systems (gills, atrium, ventricle, red blood cells, body, large well developed heart)
4. Extensive muscle system, and elevated metabolic rate |
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| Circular mouth with rasping tongue |
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1. Bony ribs
2. Lungs
3. Bony pectoral girdle |
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1. Forelimb with differentiated humerus, radius, ulna
2. Hindlimb with differentiated femur, tibia, fibula |
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