Deck 18: Systematics: Seeking Order Amidst Diversity

Question 1

Which of the following groups contains the fewest species?

A)kingdom
B)class
C)phylum
D)order
E)domain

Answer 1

D

Question 2

Which of the following is the smallest or least inclusive group?

A)kingdom
B)class
C)genus
D)order
E)species

Answer 2

E

Question 3

Which of the following is the correct way to write the scientific name of the wolf?

A)Canis Lupus
B)canis lupus
C)canis Lupus
D)Canis lupus
E)Canis lupus

Answer 3

D

Question 4

The science of reconstructing evolutionary history is called:

A)taxidermy.
B)gradualism.
C)pre-adaptation.
D)systematics.
E)biology.

Question 5

DNA analysis reveals that two species of birds appear to have evolved from a common ancestor. These two species belong to the same:

A)clade.
B)nest group.
C)gene pool.
D)species.
E)breeding group.

Question 6

Throughout the history of taxonomy, what characteristic was most commonly used for determining species relationships?

A)DNA sequence similarity
B)capability of interbreeding
C)geographic proximity
D)anatomical similarity
E)chromosomal similarity

Question 7

Which of the following is the smallest or least inclusive group?

A)kingdom
B)class
C)genus
D)domain
E)family

Question 8

Which of the following is the largest or most inclusive group?

A)class
B)order
C)phylum
D)genus
E)family

Question 9

Canis latrans, Canis lupus, and Canis familiaris are all members of the same:

A)species.
B)genus.
C)family.
D)family and species.
E)family and genus.

Question 10

A mountain lion, or puma, has the scientific name Felis concolor. Felis is the:

A)species.
B)genus.
C)kingdom.
D)order.
E)family.

Question 11

A major difficulty facing systematists is:

A)sequencing DNA.
B)placing specimens into the predefined taxonomic categories of species and genus.
C)understanding the sequence of cell divisions in the early embryology of plants and animals.
D)distinguishing anatomy from physiology in plant evolution.
E)distinguishing similar features due to common ancestry from those due to convergent evolution.

Question 12

Comparing the chromosomes of chimpanzees and humans has revealed that the two species:

A)are closely related.
B)should be classified in the same genus.
C)should be classified in the same species.
D)should not be classified in the same family.
E)are only distantly related.

Question 13

A house cat has the scientific name Felis catus. The term "catus" is the:

A)species.
B)genus.
C)kingdom.
D)order.
E)family.

Question 14

What is the second of the two names in an organism's scientific name?

A)species
B)genus
C)kingdom
D)order
E)family

Question 15

If two organisms are members of the same phylum, then they MUST also be members of the same:

A)domain.
B)class.
C)genus.
D)species.
E)family.

Question 16

In the scientific name of humans, Homo sapiens, Homo is the:

A)class.
B)species.
C)genus.
D)order.
E)family.

Question 17

The Asian elephant has the scientific name Elephas maximus. Elephas is the:

A)species.
B)genus.
C)kingdom.
D)order.
E)family.

Question 18

The most powerful way to infer evolutionary relationships relies on which type of evidence?

A)comparative anatomy
B)behavioral similarities
C)the ability to mate and produce fertile offspring
D)comparative anatomy
E)comparison of DNA base sequences

Question 19

What is the main reason scientists use Latin scientific names?

A)Common names don't sound professional.
B)Linnaeus was from Italy, so he spoke Latin.
C)Scientific publications are usually in Latin.
D)Latin names are recognized worldwide, overcoming language barriers.
E)All scientists speak Latin.

Question 20

Who was the Swedish naturalist who established the modern system for classifying organisms?

A)Aristotle
B)Linnaeus
C)Whittaker
D)Woese
E)Darwin

Question 21

Who introduced the "two-part" system (genus and species)that biologists use to name organisms?

A)Aristotle
B)Linnaeus
C)Whittaker
D)Woese
E)Darwin

Question 22

The greatest genetic diversity among humans is found between some ________ populations.

A)African
B)Asian
C)Australian
D)European
E)North American

Question 23

Which biologist first proposed that all organisms share a common ancestry?

A)Aristotle
B)Linnaeus
C)Whittaker
D)Woese
E)Darwin

Question 24

A modern system of classification gives the category name "domain" to:

A)Prokaryota.
B)Eukarya.
C)insects.
D)Hominidae.
E)Fungi.

Question 25

If genetic studies reveal that a population has genetic sequences in common with two closely related species but has no unique sequences of its own, then:

A)it should be considered a hybrid of the two species.
B)it should be assigned separate species status.
C)it should be assigned to the species with which it shares more sequences.
D)all three should be assigned to the same species.
E)all three should be considered subspecies within the same species.

Question 26

Which group contains mostly unicellular, eukaryotic organisms?

A)Bacteria
B)protists
C)Animalia
D)Fungi
E)Plantae

Question 27

Modern systematics constructs clades and evolutionary relationships based on:

A)fossils.
B)mating behaviors.
C)whether or not an organism reproduces sexually.
D)genetic similarities.
E)anatomical similarities.

Question 28

Before 1970, what was the basis for the biological classification system?

A)two kingdoms: Bacteria and Eukarya
B)two kingdoms: Monera and Animalia
C)two kingdoms: Animalia and Plantae
D)three kingdoms: Bacteria, Animalia, and Plantae
E)five kingdoms: Monera, Protista, Fungi, Animalia, and Plantae

Question 29

Which of the following is prokaryotic?

A)Vibrio cholerae
B)sponges
C)ferns
D)gorillas
E)humans

Question 30

Systematics reassigns phylogenetic placement based on:

A)physical features.
B)reproduction.
C)new information about genetic relationships.
D)seed formation.
E)behaviors.

Question 31

Genetics studies of human populations have revealed that:

A)Homo sapiens probably did not evolve from primates.
B)it is nearly impossible to determine the relatedness of human populations.
C)human populations vary tremendously at the level of DNA sequences.
D)humans have very little genetic variation compared to other mammals.
E)all humans are virtually identical.

Question 32

Which of the following is NOT a monophyletic group?

A)the class Mammalia, which includes all mammals
B)the kingdom Animalia, which includes all animals
C)the family Semionotidae, which includes fish that may not share a common ancestor
D)you, your parents, and your siblings
E)turtles and lizards

Question 33

What should biologists do when two similar organisms that were originally thought to be separate species are found to interbreed freely and produce normal offspring whenever they live in the same habitat?

A)Retain the two species' names if the organisms have very different appearances.
B)Consider both types to be a single species.
C)Develop a new name for the hybrids.
D)Separate the two groups until they become dissimilar enough to prevent interbreeding.

Question 34

An organism with a nucleus would be placed in which domain?

A)Bacteria
B)Archaea
C)Animalia
D)Fungi
E)Eukarya

Question 35

Which of the following is eukaryotic?

A)humans
B)Archaea
C)Bacteria
D)Monera

Question 36

Why do some biologists not consider reptiles to be a monophyletic group?

A)Reptiles evolved independently at several different times in the past and from several different ancestral species.
B)Birds are the direct descendants of some reptiles.
C)All reptiles do not reproduce sexually.
D)The ancestors of reptiles are the class Amphibia.
E)Reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fish appeared in the fossil record at approximately the same time.

Question 37

Evolutionary relationships among organisms are most likely to be revised at the ________ level.

A)domain
B)kingdom
C)order
D)genus
E)species

Question 38

Which of the following is prokaryotic?

A)Archaea
B)Fungi
C)Animalia
D)Plantae
E)humans

Question 39

Based on evolutionary lineage, fungus and animals belong to the same:

A)order.
B)family.
C)genus.
D)clade.
E)species.

Question 40

Which of the following is eukaryotic?

A)Archaea
B)Fungi
C)Bacteria
D)Monera

Question 41

Scientists currently identify three domains: plants, animals, and bacteria. True or False?

Question 42

Current research indicates that the temperate forest has the greatest biodiversity. True or False?

Question 43

Systematists use synapomorphies to build phylogenetic trees. True or False?

Question 44

All organisms that are derived from a single common ancestor make up a clade. True or False?

Question 45

The second of the two names in an organism's scientific name is the ________.

Question 46

The diversity of a population of bacteria can be determined best by examining:

A)soil cultures.
B)DNA in a sample.
C)temperate regions.
D)physical characteristics.
E)where the organisms live.

Question 47

Each class can be split into several kingdoms. True or False?

Question 48

The virus most closely related to HIV preys on monkeys. True or False?

Question 49

________ is a term that refers to the "evolutionary history" of an organism.

Question 50

Systematics holds that the more similar the DNA of two organisms, the more closely related they are. True or False?

Question 51

A phylogenetic species is defined as the smallest diagnosable group that contains all the descendents of a single common ancestor. True or False?

Question 52

Historically, most classification has been based on ________ similarity.

Question 53

Current research indicates that the greatest biodiversity is found in:

A)temperate forests.
B)deserts.
C)small islands.
D)tropical rain forests.
E)soils.

Question 54

________ results in similar anatomical features between unrelated organisms that may be misleading in determining species relationships.

Question 55

Monophyletic groups contain all the species that evolved from a common ancestor. True or False?

Question 56

Once an organism is placed in a specific species, the designation cannot be changed. True or False?

Question 57

Evidence that the HIV virus originated from non-human primates comes from:

A)historical studies of primitive African societies.
B)comparisons of DNA base sequences among different viruses.
C)medical histories of humans.
D)medical histories of primates in captivity.
E)comparisons of the forms of primate and human viruses.

Question 58

Research indicates that HIV developed from a bird virus. True or False?

Question 59

The science of reconstructing an organism's evolutionary history is called systematics. True or False?

Question 60

Based on taxonomic ranks, each order is divided into ________.

Question 61

Dogs, wolves, foxes, and coyotes are genetically similar and form a group called a ________.

Question 62

Sponges and worms belong to the domain ________.

Question 63

Explain how systematics and Linnaean taxonomy differ.

Question 64

Briefly explain why the adoption of a standard, two-part scientific naming system is helpful to biologists.

Question 65

How do Archaea and Bacteria differ?

Question 66

Based on current hypotheses, the prokaryotic group that gave rise to eukaryotes is the ________.

Question 67

How did Darwin's evolutionary theory change the significance of the taxonomic categories of organisms?

Question 68

________ groups contain only some of the descendants of a common ancestor.

Question 69

List the following taxonomic categories from the most specific to the most general:
genus, domain, family, phylum, order.

Question 70

Ferns and flowering plants belong to the clade ________.

Question 71

How can DNA tell you how closely related two organisms are?

Question 72

Eukaryotes that are not plants, animals, or fungi are classified as ________.

Question 73

The smallest diagnosable group that contains all the descendents of a single common ancestor is a ________.

Question 74

________ groups contain all the descendants of a common ancestor.

Question 75

Two butterflies have identical wing patterns, but in one the pigment is blue and in the other the pigment is yellow. The original ancestor had green wing pigments. The wing pigment is an example of a ________.

Question 76

HIV appears to have developed from ________.

Question 77

Modern systematics is based on ________.

Question 78

Why can organisms that look physically similar belong to different clades?

Question 79

Organisms that reproduce ________ do not meet the standard criterion of a species.

Question 80

Fungi and animals belong to the domain ________.