Biology of the Vertebrates Study Questions F2011
Note: These study questions are not comprehensive. They are meant to
supplement your lecture notes as you review them, and alert you to the ways in which you should be thinking about
the material, and formulate questions to test yourself. Exams will NOT be limited to the material highlighted in these
questions, or their formats, so your lecture notes and handouts should be your primary reference.
Lecture 1 (30 August 2010)
1. What are the reasons for studying a particular group of organisms such as vertebrates?
2. Which major taxonomic group of vertebrates is the most speciose? The least? What might account for these differences in numbers of species? Roughly what fraction of animals do vertebrates comprise?
3. What is “cladistics”? Define “monophyly,” and describe how this differs from “paraphyly.”
4. Define “synapomorphy” and “plesiomorphy.” Explain how a synapomorphy at one level can be plesiomorphic at another (or vice-versa).
5. List at least four character types used to reconstruct phylogenies. Provide an example of a bad character to use when reconstructing the evolutionary history of an organism.
