Evidence suggests that the crocodiles are more closely related to the birds than the turtles and snakes.If so,then including crocodiles,but not birds,in the Class Reptilia would make the Class Reptilia
A)a monophyletic group.
B)a paraphyletic group.
C)a polyphyletic group.
D)parsimonious.
E)not homologous.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If crocodiles are more closely related to birds than turtles and snakes, then including crocodiles in the Class Reptilia, but not birds, would make the Class Reptilia a paraphyletic group. This is because it would exclude birds, which are also classified as reptiles in the cladistic sense. A monophyletic group includes all descendants from a common ancestor, while a paraphyletic group includes some but not all descendants, and a polyphyletic group does not include the most recent common ancestor of its members. The terms parsimonious and homologous are not applicable in this context.

Evidence Suggests That the Crocodiles Are More Closely Related to the Birds