Exam (elaborations)
Exam Prep BOT2602 - Systematics Of Vascular Plants (BOT2602)
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- University Of South Africa (Unisa)
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BOT26020 Exam Prep.Distinguish between the following
1. Taxonomy and Systematics (4)
Taxonomy: the comparative study and description of the variation (diversity) between
organisms, the grouping of organisms with shared morphological properties, the description
and naming of these groups, and the arrangement (classification) of groups in a natural
system.
Systematics: comparative study and description of the variation (diversity) among
organisms, the grouping of organisms with shared ancestral characteristics, the description
of these groups and the associated phytogeography, and the arrangement (classification) of
groups into a phylogenetic system.
Systematics may be defined as the study of the kinds and diversity of organisms and the
relationships among them. Taxonomy, on the other hand, is the theory and practice of
identifying, describing, naming, and classifying organisms.
2. Specimen and Nomenclature (4)
Specimen - the whole or a part of an organism, plant, rock, etc, collected and preserved as
an example of its class, species, etc
Nomenclature: The formal naming of taxa according to some standardized system
3. Species and Subspecies (4)
Species - a population or group of population whose members have the potential to
interbreed in nature and productive viable, fertile offspring, but do not produce viable, fertile
offspring with members of other such groups.
Subspecies - is a taxonomic category that ranks below species, usually a fairly permanent
geographically isolated race.
4. Ingroup and Outgroup (4)
Ingroup - a species or group of species whose evolutionary relationship is of interest to
investigate, whilst
outgroup - is a species or group of species from an evolutionary lineage that is known to
have diverged before the lineage that contains the group of species studied. Outgroup is a
taxon or group of taxa that is not a member of the ingroup.
, 5. Monophyletic and Polyphyletic (4)
Monophyletic: referring to a group that consists of a common ancestor plus all descendants
of that ancestor.
Polyphyletic: a group that consists of two or more, separate monophyletic or paraphyletic
groups, each with a separate common ancestor; a group in which the common ancestor of
all members is not itself of the group.
6. Cholorphytes and chlorobionta (4)
Chlorophytes: large division of chiefly freshwater eukaryotic algae that possess chlorophyll
a and b, store food as starch, and cellulose cell walls; classes Chlorophyceae, Ulvophyceae,
and Charophyceae; obviously ancestral to land plants
Chlorobionta: are the green plants, including both green algae - a paraphyletic assemblage
of unicellular and multicellular forms - and the Embryophyta or land plants, which could be
considered the evolutionary culmination of the former
7. Alpha and omega taxonomy (4)
Alpha taxonomy: refers to the first two phases of a taxonomic research project. Exploration
phase (taxa to be classified are chosen, collected and provisionally described). Matrix phase
(A matrix of characters and taxa is compiled.)
Omega taxonomy: refers to the last three phases of a taxonomic research projects.
Analytical phase (The characters are analysed for their diagnostic and hierarchical value).
Classification phase (The phylogenetic tree is also directly translated into a classification.)
Test phase (The phylogenetic tree is used to test hypotheses on the process of evolutionary
development within the study group.
, 8. Homologous and analogous characters (4)
Homologous characters are characters in different species that are similar because of
common ancestry,
whereas analogous characters are similar characters between two species that are due to
convergent evolution.
9. Biological diversity and biological resources (4)
Biological diversity (or biodiversity) is a number and variation (difference) between living
organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems, and
the ecological complexes of which they are part; includes the diversity within species,
between species and the diversity of ecosystems and
Biological resources include genetic sources, organisms or parts of organisms,
populations, or any biotic component of an ecosystem with real or potential utility or value to
humankind.
10. Phylogeny and classification (4)
Phylogeny - is a phylogenetic tree of evolutionary development and the diversification
process of a development line and
Classification refers to the arrangement of taxa into groups with common, shared
characteristics.
Are the following scientific names correct? If NOT, write the correct ones and give
reasons.
1. Lachaneae pedicillata (2)
Correct
2. struthiola salteri Levyns. MR100 (2)
Struthiola salteri Levyns. MR100 (2)
The genus should be in capital letters and italics or underlined.
3. gnidia cf. Anomala (2)
Gnidia cf. anomala
Incorrect. “cf.” is used to compare individuals/taxa with known/described species.
The genus should be italicised and the first letter of the genius name should be in
capital letter. The first letter of the species name should be in small letter.
4. Rhopalocarpus sp. (2)’
Rhopalocarpus sp.
The abbreviation "sp." is used when the actual specific name cannot or need not be
specified and should not be italicised or underlined
5. Capsella bursa pastoris (L) Medic
Capsella bursa - pastoris (L) Medic
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