Grade 12 Cladogram Worksheet
This worksheet covers cladograms, including their construction, interpretation, and the evolutionary relationships they represent, suitable for Grade 12 Biology students.
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Grade 12 Cladogram Worksheet
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Read each question carefully and answer to the best of your ability. For multiple-choice questions, select the best option. For fill-in-the-blank questions, write your answer on the line provided. For short answer questions, use complete sentences.
1. Which of the following best describes a cladogram?
A diagram showing the geographic distribution of species.
A diagram that illustrates evolutionary relationships among organisms.
A fossil record of ancient life forms.
A classification system based on physical similarities only.
2. What does a node on a cladogram represent?
A species that went extinct.
The most recent common ancestor of two or more taxa.
A derived characteristic.
A homologous structure.
1. A shared derived character, or , is a trait that arose in the most recent common ancestor of a particular lineage and was passed to its descendants.
2. The principle of suggests that the simplest explanation for phylogenetic relationships is usually the best.
3. A group consisting of an ancestor and all of its descendants is called a group.
1. Explain the difference between a homologous structure and an analogous structure, and how each is used in cladistics.
2. Describe the importance of an outgroup in constructing a cladogram.
1. All organisms on a cladogram share a common ancestor.
True
False
2. The length of the branches in a cladogram always indicates the amount of evolutionary time.
True
False
Consider the following cladogram:
Based on the cladogram above, answer the following questions:
1. Which organism is the outgroup?
2. Which two organisms are most closely related?
3. Identify one shared derived characteristic that organisms A, B, C, and D all possess.