Pterosaurs are an extinct group of flying reptiles. Paleontologists accept that pterosaurs evolved flight independently of birds. What evidence BEST supports such a conclusion?
A)Pterosaurs don't have feathers.
B)Pterosaurs have teeth, but birds don't.
C)Phylogenetic analyses place pterosaurs as the sister group of all dinosaurs.
D)Pterosaurs first appeared during the Triassic Period, earlier than the oldest known birds.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Phylogenetic analyses, which examine the evolutionary relationships among species, show that pterosaurs are not closely related to birds but rather are a distinct lineage. This supports the conclusion that their ability to fly evolved independently.

Pterosaurs Are an Extinct Group of Flying Reptiles