If horizontal gene transfer was predominant in early evolution,how would this affect our ability to reconstruct the tree of life?
A)Horizontal gene transfer places viruses firmly at the beginning of the tree of life.
B)Horizontal gene transfer blurs the concept of species, making it difficult to delineate ancestral species.
C)Horizontal gene transfer resulted in chloroplasts that confuse the plant lineage.
D)Horizontal gene transfer means that life-forms do not share a history of common descent.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Horizontal gene transfer makes it difficult to delineate ancestral species, as the concept of species becomes blurred. This means that reconstructing the tree of life becomes more challenging as it is not always possible to determine which traits were acquired vertically (from a common ancestor) and which were acquired horizontally (from another organism).

If Horizontal Gene Transfer Was Predominant in Early Evolution,how Would