Sytematics
The study of diversity of organisms and evolutionary relationships
Taxonomy
Describing, naming, and classifying Binomial
nomenclature
a. unique 2 part name
b. genus and specific eppithet
Taxon (taxa)
Grouping of organisms at any of the levels (kingdom, phylum...)
---all species at a certain level are going to share certain characteristics
Clade
Group of species that includes an ancestral species and all of its
descendants (monophyletic)
Phylogeny
Evolutionary history of a species or group of species
Phylogenetic tree
A branching diagram that displays evolutionary history.
***no necessarily phenotypically similar
Components of a Phylogenetic tree:
1. Branch points
Diverge of 2 evolutionary lineages from as common ancestor
2. Sister taxa
groups of organisms that share an immediate common ancestor
***each other's closest relative
3. Basal Taxon
Lineage that diverges early in history of group
****lies on the branch that originates near the common ancestor
4. Polytomy
Branch point from which more than 2 descendants emerge
5. Extant species
species that are living at the tips of branches
Mechanism for Evolution?
Natural Selection
3 Domnains in the Tree of life
1. Bacteria
2. Archaea
3. Eukary