Since birds descended from one group of terrestrial dinosaurs, the grouping that includes only terrestrial dinosaurs is ____.
A) anagenetic
B) analogous
C) monophyletic
D) polyphyletic
E) paraphyletic

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The grouping that includes only terrestrial dinosaurs, excluding birds which descended from them, is paraphyletic. A paraphyletic group consists of an ancestral species and some, but not all, of its descendants, which is the case here since birds are excluded.

Since Birds Descended from One Group of Terrestrial Dinosaurs, the Grouping