Why do some evolutionary biologists have philosophical concerns about using distance methods to construct evolutionary trees?
What will be an ideal response?
ANS:
Will vary, but should include: Distance methods are fundamentally phenetic in their approach—they group species together according to similarity without attempting to reflect underlying evolutionary relationships. Distance methods assume similarity is a measure of homology and not analogy, and this is not always true. (Students may also mention the problem with varying rates of evolution.)
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Perhaps a plant's greatest liability is its
inability to a. produce growth hormones. b. use aerobic respiration. c. move when conditions around it deteriorate. d. produce its own lipids and proteins. e. respond to dwindling supplies of nutrients and water.
The standard classification system used by biologists today groups and classifies organisms on the basis of similar physical traits. This system was first developed by Carl Linnaeus
At the time of his work, there were other methods for grouping organisms that were based on similar habitats, similar diets, or similar behaviors. Why is the Linnaen system still useful to biologists today? A) This system is the simplest; the others are too complicated. B) This system classifies based on shared traits and infers evolutionary relationships. C) This system included all organisms found on Earth. D) This system relies on Latin names that make the most sense to biologists.
The structure of DNA was discovered in
A. 1921. B. 1953. C. 1999. D. 2003.
Explain how the Hawaiian Island chain provides evidence in support of Plate Tectonics.