Ch12 Systematics The Science of Biological Exam Questions

Chapter 12: Systematics: The Science of Biological Diversity

Multiple-Choice Questions

Modern biological classification began with:

a. Charles Darwin.

b. Gregor Mendel.

c. Jean Baptiste de Lamarck.

d. Carl Linnaeus.

e. Caspar Bauhin.

Which of the following statements about Linnaeus is FALSE?

a. He published the book Species Plantarum.

b. He described each species using a sentence of no more than 12 words.

c. He made permanent the binomial system of nomenclature.

d. He devised a polynomial as a proper name for each species.

e. He developed a “shorthand” designation for each species consisting of a single word.

The binomial for poison ivy is Toxicodendron radicans. To what genus does this plant belong?

a. Toxicodendron

b. Radicans

c. Toxicodendron radicans

d. Poison ivy

e. Toxicodendron radicans poison ivy

The binomial for the coast redwood is Sequoia sempervirens. What is the species name of this plant?

a. Sequoia

b. Sempervirens

c. Sequoia sempervirens

d. Coast redwood

e. Sequoia sempervirens coast redwood

Which of the following statements about the naming of species and varieties is FALSE?

a. Type specimens serve as a basis for designating the species of other specimens.

b. Certain species consist of two or more varieties.

c. The varieties of a species that includes the type specimen is named by repeating the specific epithet.

d. When used alone, the specific epithet provides valuable taxonomic information.

e. Names of genera and species are printed in italic.

Which of the following lists the taxonomic categories in the correct hierarchy, from most to least inclusive, under kingdom?

a. Class, phylum, order, family, genus, species

b. Order, class, phylum, family, genus, species

c. Phylum, class, order, family, genus, species

d. Phylum, order, class, family, genus, species

e. Order, phylum, family, class, genus, species

Cattleya is one genus in the Orchidaceaea, the orchid family. In this example:

a. Cattleya is a category.

b. Orchidaceae is a category.

c. Cattleya is a taxon but Orchidaceae is not.

d. Orchidaceae is a taxon but Cattleya is not.

e. Cattleya and Orchidaceae are taxa.

The term “phylum” is nomenclaturally equivalent to:

a. class.

b. division.

c. order.

d. kingdom.

e. family.

The names of almost all plant families end in:

a. -ium.

b. -ica.

c. -om.

d. -ales.

e. -aceae.

Phylogeny refers to the:

a. naming of organisms.

b. placing of organisms into phyla.

c. nomenclature of species.

d. evolutionary history of an organism.

e. grouping of classes of organisms.

A natural classification system differs from an artificial classification system in that a natural classification system:

a. reflects the evolutionary relationships among organisms.

b. is based on plant form: trees, shrubs, undershrubs, and herbs.

c. is based on the number and arrangement of stamens in the flower.

d. classifies organisms by means of one or a few characters.

e. classifies organisms primarily as an aid to identification.

When the members of a taxon are all descendents of a common single ancestral species, the taxon is said to be:

a. phylogenetic.

b. paraphyletic.

c. monophyletic.

d. polyphyletic.

e. amphiphyletic.

When the members of a group have two or more ancestors, that group is said to be:

a. phylogenetic.

b. paraphyletic.

c. monophyletic.

d. polyphyletic.

e. amphiphyletic.

Biological features that have a common origin, even if they have a different function, are said to be:

a. artificial.

b. natural.

c. paraphyletic.

d. homologous.

e. analogous.

The wing of a bird and the wing of an insect are:

a. homologous but not artificial.

b. polyphyletic but not paraphyletic.

c. paraphyletic but not polyphyletic.

d. homologous but not analogous.

e. analogous but not homologous.

Synapomorphies are:

a. shared derived characters.

b. outgroups used to root a tree.

c. ingroups used to root a tree.

d. types of sister groups.

e. branches on a cladogram.

In a cladogram, groups that terminate in adjacent branches are called:

a. nodes.

b. derived groups.

c. synapomorphies.

d. sister groups.

e. outgroups.

The rule of parsimony states that:

a. analogous features should be given more importance than homologous features.

b. cladograms should be constructed in the least complicated way.

c. character states are distinguished from one another by comparison with outgroups.

d. adjacent branches should terminate in a node.

e. phylogenetic relationships should be based on ancestral character states.

Which of the following statements concerning the use of molecular data in systematics is FALSE?

a. Molecular data are easier to quantify than traditional data.

b. Molecular data provide more characters for analysis that traditional data.

c. Molecular data allow comparisons of morphologically different organisms.

d. Molecular data permit comparisons of organisms at the level of the gene.

e. Molecular data concerning the amino acid sequences of proteins are the most widely used.

Neutral mutations:

a. are not helpful in systematics.

b. can be used to determine changes occurring in homologous genes since lineages diverged.

c. have accumulated over time as the result of natural selection.

d. have accumulated at a highly changeable rate over evolutionary time.

e. account for a very small percentage of the variation in homologous genes in different groups of organisms.

If you analyze the neutral mutations from two groups and find there are few differences in their nucleotide sequences, you would logically conclude that the two groups:

a. belong to the same species.

b. belong to different species.

c. diverged relatively recently from a common ancestor.

d. diverged relatively long ago from a common ancestor.

e. belong to a monophyletic taxon.

Which of the following statements concerning chloroplast DNA is FALSE?

a. It is a circular molecule.

b. It contains more nucleotides than the mitochondria.

c. It contains inverted repeats.

d. It contains genes that encode the large Rubisco subunit.

e. It contains two regions that encode the same genes.

Which of the following statements concerning the rcbL gene is FALSE?

a. It is useful for resolving relationships between closely related genera.

b. It is present in all photosynthetic eukaryotes and cyanobacteria.

c. It is a rapidly evolving gene.

d. It is a single-copy gene.

e. It encodes the large subunit of the Rubisco enzyme.

The DNA barcode used for animals is _____, and for plants the DNA barcode is ______.

a. CO1 or matK; CO1

b. CO1 or rbcL; CO1.

c. rbcL or matK; CO1

d. CO1; CO1

e. CO1; rbcL or matK

The three domains of organisms are the:

a. Archaea, Bacteria, and Protista

b. Bacteria, Eukarya, and Protista

c. Bacteria, Eukarya, and Fungi

d. Archaea, Bacteria, and Eukarya

e. Archaea, Eukarya, and Fungi

The eukaryotes are divided into _____ supergroups.

a. 2

b. 3

c. 4

d. 6

e. 7

According to the serial endosymbiotic theory, chloroplasts evolved from:

a. bacteria.

b. protists.

c. fungi.

d. plasmids.

e. portions of the plasma membrane.

By definition, an endosymbiont is an organism that:

a. is a parasite.

b. is a phagocyte.

c. lives within another, dissimilar organism.

d. lives within a nonliving substance.

e. forms an organelle within the cells of another organism.

Which of the following best indicates the correct sequence in which the evolution of these organelles occurred?

a. mitochondrion, lysosome, chloroplast

b. lysosome, mitochondrion, chloroplast

c. lysosome, chloroplast, mitochondrion

d. chloroplast, mitochondrion, lysosome

e. chloroplast, lysosome, mitochondrion

The endomembrane system of plant cells most likely evolved from:

a. a chloroplast.

b. a mitochondrion.

c. a lysosome.

d. portions of the plasma membrane.

e. portions of the vacuole.

The nucleus of plant cells most likely evolved from:

a. a chloroplast.

b. a mitochondrion.

c. a lysosome.

d. portions of the plasma membrane.

e. portions of the vacuole.

In the Vorticella/Chlorella endosymbiosis:

a. Vorticella functions as the endomembrane system for Chlorella.

b. Chlorella provides minerals for Vorticella.

c. Chlorella functions as a chloroplast in Vorticella.

d. Vorticella functions as a mitochondrion in Chlorella.

e. Chlorella provides photosynthetic products for Vorticella.

In the course of evolution of eukaryotic cells, some mitochondrial DNA was transferred to:

a. the host cell’s chloroplast.

b. a bacterial cell.

c. the host cell’s nucleus.

d. the host cell’s plasma membrane.

e. a plasmid.

In secondary endosymbiosis, a ______ is engulfed by a eukaryotic host.

a. cyanobacterial cell

b. mitochondrion

c. cell containing a primary plastid

d. cell containing a secondary plastid

e. cell containing a tertiary plastid

A eukaryotic, multicellular organism that absorbs its food belongs to the kingdom:

a. Protista.

b. Fungi.

c. Animalia.

d. Plantae.

e. Eukarya.

A multicellular organism that ingests its food belongs to the kingdom:

a. Protista.

b. Monera.

c. Animalia.

d. Plantae.

e. Eukarya.

Water molds and slime molds are included in the _____ group.

a. fungus

b. protist

c. animal

d. archaean

e. plant

_____ are a paraphyletic group of eukaryotic organisms that are unicellular, colonial or multicellular.

a. Fungi

b. Protists

c. Animals

d. Bacteria

e. Plants

Multicellular eukaryotes that have an embryo during the sporophyte phase belong to the kingdom:

a. Fungi.

b. Protista.

c. Eukarya.

d. Archaea.

e. Plantae.

Which of the following describes zygotic meiosis?

a. It occurs in most plants.

b. The zygote is the only diploid cell in the life cycle.

c. It results directly in gametes.

d. It is characteristic of organisms having an alternation of generations.

e. It is characteristic of organisms with isomorphic generations.

Which of the following describes sporic meiosis?

a. It occurs in most animals.

b. The gametes are the only haploid cells in the life cycle.

c. It most likely evolved before zygotic meiosis.

d. It is characteristic of organisms having an alternation of generations.

e. The zygote is the only diploid cell in the life cycle.

The gametophyte:

a. is the diploid generation.

b. is the spore-producing generation.

c. is the dominant generation in vascular plants.

d. occurs in organisms having sporic meiosis.

e. stores more genetic information than the sporophyte.

Life cycles in which the haploid and diploid forms are similar in external appearance are said to have ______ generations.

a. morphospecific

b. isospecific

c. isogamous

d. heteromorphic

e. isomorphic

One clear evolutionary trend in the vascular plants is the increasing dominance of:

a. the sporophyte.

b. the gametophyte.

c. zygotic meiosis.

d. gametic meiosis.

e. isomorphic life cycles.

True-False Questions

Systematics is the science of identifying, naming, and classifying organisms.

In the name Lactuca biennis, “biennis” is called the specific epithet.

A variety can be considered equivalent to a subspecies.

Similar families are next grouped into an order.

When classifying maize, the maize class contains more individuals than the maize family.

In natural taxa, all members are descended from the same ancestral species.

Polyphyletic taxa contain members descended from more than one ancestral line.

Foliage leaves and floral parts are analogous, rather than homologous, structures.

An outgroup is a group closely related to the study group but not a member of that group.

A cladogram indicates which group gave rise to other groups.

Chloroplast DNA is unique in that it lacks inverted repeats.

DNA barcoding is used to identify plant species.

The prokaryotic domains are the Bacteria and Archaea.

The domain is the highest taxonomic category.

Researchers now hypothesize that the protists belong to the Kingdom Protista.

Taxonomically, a supergroup lies between a kingdom and a phylum.

According to the endosymbiotic theory, the evolution of the cytoskeleton and a flexible plasma membrane preceded the evolution of mitochondria and chloroplasts.

According to the endosymbiotic theory, mitochondria evolved from an alpha-proteobacterium.

According to the endosymbiotic theory, chloroplasts evolved from cyanobacteria.

An example of secondary endosymbiosis is a eukaryotic host engulfing a cyanobacterial cell.

Fungi are more closely related to plants than to animals.

Viridiophytes is a clade containing the green algae, mosses, and vascular plants.

The first eukaryotes were probably haploid, asexual organisms.

Heteromorphic generations are characteristic of all organisms having an alternation of generations.

Essay Questions

1. Taxonomy: Nomenclature and Classification; pp. 234, 238; easy

What is the difference between systematics and taxonomy? Between an artificial classification system and a natural classification system?

2. Taxonomy: Nomenclature and Classification; pp. 234-235; easy

Explain the relationship between a species name, a genus name, and a specific epithet.

3. Taxonomy: Nomenclature and Classification; p. 238; moderate

Distinguish between monophyletic, polyphyletic, and paraphyletic taxa.

4. Taxonomy: Nomenclature and Classification; pp. 238–239; moderate

Explain the difference between homology and analogy in systematics. Why is it better to base an evolutionary classification system on homologous rather than analogous structures?

5. Cladistics; pp. 239–240; moderate

Explain how a cladogram is used to depict hypothesized phylogenetic relationships.

6. Molecular Systematics; p. 240; difficult

What are some of the advantages of using molecular data rather than more traditional data in systematics? What are the advantages of studying neutral mutations?

7. The Major Groups of Organisms: Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya; p. 244; moderate

What is a domain in systematics? What is a supergroup? Name the three domains of organisms. What is the rationale for using the domain rather than the kingdom as the highest category of classification?

8. Origin of the Eukaryotes; p. 247; moderate

Explain how eukaryotic cells are thought to have evolved from prokaryotic cells.

9. Origin of the Eukaryotes; p. 248; difficult

Explain the differences between primary, secondary, and tertiary endosymbiosis, and give an example of each.

10. The Protists and Eukaryotic Kingdoms; pp. 248–250; moderate

Describe the distinguishing features of the protists and the three eukaryotic kingdoms.

11. Life Cycles and Diploidy; pp. 250–251; moderate

Compare and contrast zygotic, gametic, and sporic meiosis.

12. Life Cycles and Diploidy; p. 253; moderate

What is the difference between a gametophyte and a sporophyte? Which is more evolutionarily advanced? Explain your answer.