A shared ancestral characteristic used in cladistics is found
A) only in the two most recent ancestors.
B) only among the members of the ingroup.
C) in both the outgroup and the ingroup.
D) in two of the outgroups.
E) only in the most distant ancestor. A shared ancestral trait is one that is presumed to have appeared in the common ancestor to the members of both the ingroup and outgroup. It is not a shared derived trait, so it is not used to construct the cladogram.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A shared ancestral characteristic is one that is shared by both the ingroup and outgroup, indicating that it was present in the common ancestor. Therefore, it is found in both the outgroup and the ingroup.

A Shared Ancestral Characteristic Used in Cladistics Is Found