Birds,snakes,lizards,turtles,and crocodiles are all thought to share a common ancestor and several homologous traits.Assuming that this is true,these groups of animals would best represent
A)a polyphyletic group.
B)a monophyletic group.
C)homoplastic convergence.
D)several clades.
E)a species cluster.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A monophyletic group includes a common ancestor and all of its descendants. If birds, snakes, lizards, turtles, and crocodiles share a common ancestor and several homologous traits, they would form a monophyletic group. A polyphyletic group would include multiple lineages that do not share a common ancestor. Homoplastic convergence describes the independent evolution of similar traits in unrelated lineages. Several clades would suggest separate evolutionary lineages, which is not the case here. A species cluster is not a commonly used term in phylogenetics.

Birds,snakes,lizards,turtles,and Crocodiles Are All Thought to Share a Common Ancestor