The cladistic use of the term "fish"
A)applies to a monophyletic group of aquatic vertebrates.
B)includes all swimming animals from the amphioxus lancelet up to,but not including,the true amphibians.
C)would also include the common ancestor with land vertebrates (including us)and a strict cladist would then include us in "fish."
D)only includes aquatic vertebrates with gills.
E)reflects any vertebrate that is adapted to water.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In cladistics, groups are defined by their common ancestry. The term "fish" in a cladistic context would include the common ancestor of all fish and their descendants, which includes land vertebrates (tetrapods) like amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, including humans. This is because cladistics focuses on monophyletic groups (all descendants of a common ancestor), and since land vertebrates evolved from fish, they would technically be included in the group if "fish" were used in this way.

The Cladistic Use of the Term "Fish