| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Taxon | Taxonomic unit at any level |
| Binomial nomenclature | Linnaeus |
| Cladistics | Hierarchical classification of species based on evolutionary ancestry |
| Clade | an evolutionary lineage |
| Apomorphy | character different from ancestral condition |
| Plesiomorphy | ancestral character |
| Synapomorphy | Shared derived characters that help identify common ancestry |
| Homologous | Likeness due to evolutionary history, not functional likeness>lungs and swim bladder |
| Analogous | similar characteristics that resemble each other from different evolutionary branches. Gills and lungs |
| Convergent evolution | similar characteristics arise in distant relatives in separate branches. wings of bats and birds |
| Parallel evolution | species that diverged relatively recently develop similar specializations |
| Evolutionary reversal | re-evolution of streamlined body and fins of whales and dolphins but sharks retained. |
| Polyphyletic taxa | members are derived from two or more unrelated lineages |
| Paraphylitic taxa | doesn't include all but only some of the closely related taxa |
| sister taxa | most closely related monophyletic taxa |
| Parsimonious | simplest conclusion, economic hypothesis |
| Crown groups | End taxa, all extant |
| Stem groups | non end taxa, extinct |
| Odontode | basic unit of mineralized tissue |
| Symplesiomorphy | shared ancestral trait |
Combine with other sets
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