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Science · Drill 17

Science practice 17

15 questions ~9 min recommended
⏱ 00:00
Score
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KingdomPhylumClassOrderFamilyGenusSpecies
American Badger
AnimaliaChordataMammaliaCarnivoraMustelidaeTaxideataxus
Coyote
AnimaliaChordataMammaliaCarnivoraCanidaeCanislatrans
European Otter
AnimaliaChordataMammaliaCarnivoraMustelidaeLutralutra
Gray Wolf
AnimaliaChordataMammaliaCarnivoraCanidaeCanislupus
Leopard
AnimaliaChordataMammaliaCarnivoraFelidaePantherapardus

Canidae
Felidae
Mustelidae
Canis latrans
Canis
Canis lupus
Panthera
Panthera pardus
Lutra
Lutra lutra
Taxidea
Taxidea taxus

The scientific classification of organisms provides information about the relative level of relatedness between species. Biologists use a hierarchical grouping system to classify organisms into various taxa (groups) based on shared physiological, developmental, and genetic characteristics. Table 5.5 identifies the scientific classification of five common species.

TABLE 5.5 Taxonomic Classification

Biologists use a phylogenetic tree to illustrate the evolutionary history of related species. In a typical tree, currently living species called extant taxa are listed along the right. Moving to the left, the point at which two or more extant taxa meet is called a node. A node indicates an ancestral taxon, or a common ancestor shared by the extant taxa.

Horizontal line length in a phylogenetic tree indicates relative divergence time, an estimation of how long ago the extant taxa are thought to have diverged into separate species. Figure 5.6 shows a phylogenetic tree of the species listed in Table 5.5.

Figure 5.6

1. The phylogenetic tree in Figure 5.6 identifies evolutionary relationships between which type of organisms?

2. To which family does Panthera pardus belong?

3. All organisms in Table 5.5 are members of the same:

4. Canis latrans is the scientific name of which organism?

5. According to Figure 5.6, the European otter is most closely related to which species?

6. According to Figure 5.6, how many common ancestors does Panthera pardus share with Taxidea taxus?

7. According to Figure 5.6, which pair of species have the most recent divergence time?

8. Based on the information in the passage and Figure 5.6, Taxidea taxus would be considered:

9. Which of the following inferences can be made about the seven-level classification system used in Table 5.5?

10. The scientific classification of the lynx is shown in Table 5.6. With which species would the lynx share the most recent ancestor?

TABLE 5.6 Lynx Classification

11. How many taxonomic levels does the lynx have in common with the gray wolf ?

12. Based on the information in Table 5.5, it can be predicted that the common ancestor shared by all five species belonged to which taxon?

13. A clade is the taxonomic term for a grouping composed of all the descendants of a single ancestral taxon. According to Figure 5.6, which of the following groupings would not constitute a clade?

14. The wolverine (Gulo gulo) belongs to the family Mustelidae. Which of the following assumptions can be made about the wolverine?

15. Which of the following statements is best supported by the information in Figure 5.6?

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