The figure shows a cladogram of direct development versus development of a larval stage.Choose the true statements about the evolution of development in limpets.
A)Loss of structures in the transition from a larval stage to direct development prohibits evolutionary reversal.
B)Direct development has evolved multiple times.
C)Evolution always proceeds parsimoniously.
D)Possession of a larval stage is the ancestral state in limpets.

Question

The figure shows a cladogram of direct development versus development of a larval stage.Choose the true statements about the evolution of development in limpets.  
A)Loss of structures in the transition from a larval stage to direct development prohibits evolutionary reversal. 
B)Direct development has evolved multiple times. 
C)Evolution always proceeds parsimoniously. 
D)Possession of a larval stage is the ancestral state in limpets.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Option B is true because there are multiple branches that show the evolution of direct development, indicating that it has evolved independently multiple times in limpets.

Option D is also true because possession of a larval stage is shown as the ancestral state, and direct development is depicted as a derived trait in the cladogram. There is no indication that direct development arose first and then evolved into a larval stage, which would make possession of a larval stage a derived trait.

Option A is false because the cladogram does not show any loss of structures in the transition from a larval stage to direct development. And Option C is false because evolution does not always proceed parsimoniously, as convergent evolution and evolutionary reversals can occur.

The Figure Shows a Cladogram of Direct Development Versus Development