Use the figure to answer the following question.

If the figure is an accurate depiction of relatedness, then which of the following should be an accurate statement?
A) If all species depicted here make up a taxon, this taxon is monophyletic.
B) The species present at position 4 is ancestral to species E, but not species D.
C) Species C is more closely related to species B than D is to B
D) The species present at position 3 is ancestral to C, D, and E.

Question

Use the figure to answer the following question.

If the figure is an accurate depiction of relatedness, then which of the following should be an accurate statement?
A) If all species depicted here make up a taxon, this taxon is monophyletic. 
B) The species present at position 4 is ancestral to species E, but not species D. 
C) Species C is more closely related to species B than D is to B 
D) The species present at position 3 is ancestral to C, D, and E.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

If all of the species depicted here make up a taxon, the taxon is monophyletic because all of the branches originate from the same ancestor.

Answer: C
 Species C is more closely related to species B than D is to B because the branch leading to species C and the branch leading to species B share a more recent common ancestor than the branch leading to species D and the branch leading to species B.

Answer: D
 The species present at position 3 is ancestral to C, D, and E because all three branches originate from the same ancestor.

Use the Figure to Answer the Following Question