To a cladist,the statement that molluscs evolved from roundworms implies:
A)These groups are not monophyletic.
B)These groups are paraphyletic.
C)Molluscs evolved from an ancestral group from which it did not belong.
D)all of the above

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement implies all of the given options: A) it suggests molluscs and roundworms do not share a most recent common ancestor exclusive to them, making them not monophyletic; B) it implies one group (molluscs) evolved from another (roundworms), suggesting a paraphyletic relationship where one group is excluded from the other despite sharing a common ancestor; and C) it directly states molluscs evolved from an ancestral group (roundworms) they originally did not belong to, indicating an evolutionary lineage crossing.

To a Cladist,the Statement That Molluscs Evolved from Roundworms Implies