Humans and African apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas) share traits, such as elongated skulls and shortened canine teeth, that other related species do not have.These characteristics are called
A) homoplasies.
B) synapomorphies.
C) reversals.
D) parsimonies.
E) heteroplasies.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Synapomorphies are characteristics shared by a group of organisms that are present in their most recent common ancestor but not in more distant ancestors. The elongated skulls and shortened canine teeth are shared synapomorphies between humans and African apes, indicating a closer evolutionary relationship between these groups compared to other related species. Homoplasies are traits that have evolved independently in different lineages, while reversals are the reversion to ancestral traits, and parsimonies and heteroplasies are not relevant to this context.

Humans and African Apes (Chimpanzees, Bonobos, and Gorillas) Share Traits