A taxon that includes only birds and bats, two clades of vertebrates capable of flight, is considered ____.
A) paraphyletic
B) polyphyletic
C) monophyletic
D) complete
E) incomplete

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A taxon that includes birds and bats, which do not share an immediate common ancestor exclusive to them (since birds are more closely related to other dinosaurs and bats are mammals), is considered polyphyletic. This is because it groups together species based on convergent traits (flight) rather than common ancestry.

A Taxon That Includes Only Birds and Bats, Two Clades