Which one of the following statements about the following phylogenetic tree is correct?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To interpret the phylogenetic tree, observe which taxa share the most recent common ancestor (i.e., are most closely related) based on the branching pattern.

Option 1: 'The closest species to B are A and C' This would be true if B shared a most recent common ancestor with both A and C at the same internal node. However, the tree shows A and B forming a tight pair on one branch, while C groups with D on a separate branch. B’s closest relative is A, not C, so this statement is inaccurate.

Option 2: 'The closest species to D are C and E' Looking at the structure, D is closely paired with C on the same small clade, but E lies on a different branch that joins further down the tree. Therefore, D’s closest relative is C, not E, making this assertion incorrect.

Option 3: 'The closest species to A is B' The tree shows A and B as sister taxa within the same small clade, sharing an immediate common node. This is the hallmark of being each other’s closest relatives, so this statement aligns with the topology.

Option 4: 'The closest species to E is D' While D and C form a nearby clade, E branches off on a different line and connects to the rest of the tree higher up. Thus, E’s closest relative is not D, and this statement is misleading given the branching pattern.

Overall, by tracing the immediate sister relationships on the drawn tree, A and B are each other’s closest relatives, while the other pairings are not supported by the nearest-branch relationships depicted.

Which one of the following statements about the following phylogenetic tree is correct?Single choice

Similar Questions

In the following hypothetical tree, identify the sister node(s) of M.

There is more than one correct way to show relationships using a phylogenetic tree. Three of the four trees displayed below show the same relationship between species A, B, and C. Which tree shows a different relationship?

Using the tree below, which letter refers to the most recent common ancestor of green alga and moss?

Which species is closest to C based on the following phylogenetic tree?

Which of the following statements about rooted and unrooted phylogenetic trees is CORRECT?

According to this figure, chimpanzees are most closely related to ______ .

Nodes in a phylogenetic tree represent:

Which node represents the most recent common ancestor of organisms E and F?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler