Why are frog calls generally more useful in phylogenetic analysis than bird songs?
A) Bird songs are more complicated than frog calls, and thus they violate the principle of parsimony.
B) Bird songs contain less information than frog calls.
C) Bird songs tend to be genetically inherited, whereas frog calls tend to be culturally inherited.
D) Bird songs tend to be culturally inherited, whereas frog calls tend to be genetically inherited.
E) Frog calls are louder than bird songs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Frog calls tend to be genetically inherited, while bird songs tend to be culturally inherited. This means that frog calls reflect the evolutionary history of the species, making them more useful for phylogenetic analysis. Bird songs, on the other hand, can vary within a species, making them less reliable for tracing the evolutionary history of a group.

Why Are Frog Calls Generally More Useful in Phylogenetic Analysis