You are comparing the DNA sequences of several species with a shared evolutionary ancestry. Species 1 has a sequence of ATGCCA, species 2 has a sequence of ATACCA, species 3 has a sequence of ATACTA, species 4 has a sequence of ACACTG, and species 5 has a sequence of ATGCCA. Which species is an outgroup compared with all the others?
A) species 1
B) species 2
C) species 3
D) species 4
E) species 5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An outgroup is a species that is believed to have diverged from the other species in a particular study before the other species diverged from each other. In this case, species 4 has a different DNA sequence than all the other species, suggesting that it diverged earlier in evolution. Therefore, species 4 is likely the outgroup in this comparison.

You Are Comparing the DNA Sequences of Several Species with a Shared