Early birds had small, thick skulls and two toes on each foot. Archaeopteryx had a long, almost pointy skull, and three toes on each foot. Early birds and Archaeopteryx shared the traits of feathers, clawed hands, and a long, bony tail. Examine the two trees presented in the figure below. Assuming that Xiaotingia shared traits with Archaeopteryx that neither of them shared with birds and looking only at the traits presented here, which of the trees shows the most likely relationship between these three animals? Support your answer by indicating which tree branch is initiated by which characteristic.

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The Answer of Early birds had small, thick skulls and two toes on each foot. Archaeopteryx had a long, almost pointy skull, and three toes on each foot. Early birds and Archaeopteryx shared the traits of feathers, clawed hands, and a long, bony tail. Examine the two trees presented in the figure below. Assuming that Xiaotingia shared traits with Archaeopteryx that neither of them shared with birds and looking only at the traits presented here, which of the trees shows the most likely relationship between these three animals? Support your answer by indicating which tree branch is initiated by which characteristic.

Early Birds Had Small, Thick Skulls and Two Toes on Each