Phylogenies Can Be Used to Distinguish Homologous Traits from Analogous

question 13

Essay

Phylogenies can be used to distinguish homologous traits from analogous traits. How can this distinction help to generate hypotheses about the role of natural selection in shaping the evolution of a trait?

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Definitions:

Distance Effect

A phenomenon in psychology where the distance between stimuli affects response time; in cognitive tasks, greater distances usually lead to faster responses.

Geographic Location

A specific place or position within a physical space that is identified using coordinates or a descriptive address.

Edge Effect

The ecological phenomenon in which ecotones between adjacent communities often contain a greater number of species or greater population densities of certain species than either adjacent community.

Diversity Index

A quantitative measure that reflects how many different types (such as species) there are in a dataset, and simultaneously takes into account how evenly the basic entities (like individuals) are distributed among those types.