Which of the following statements is true about the shown cladogram and the characters used to derive it?
A) Three-chambered heart is the most inclusive character on the cladogram.
B) The snake and lizard share a common ancestor that does not have the characters internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg.
C) The character notochord in embryo is not shared by the common ancestor to all of the organisms on the cladogram.
D) The two organisms furthest from each other on the cladogram share only two common characters.
E) The character long cylindrical body is useful in placing the snake and eel into the cladogram. It can be seen that an earlier common ancestor to the snake and lizard, also shared with the newt, did not possess the characters internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg.

Question

Which of the following statements is true about the shown cladogram and the characters used to derive it?  
A) Three-chambered heart is the most inclusive character on the cladogram. 
B) The snake and lizard share a common ancestor that does not have the characters internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg. 
C) The character notochord in embryo is not shared by the common ancestor to all of the organisms on the cladogram. 
D) The two organisms furthest from each other on the cladogram share only two common characters. 
E) The character long cylindrical body is useful in placing the snake and eel into the cladogram. It can be seen that an earlier common ancestor to the snake and lizard, also shared with the newt, did not possess the characters internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The cladogram shows that snake and lizard share a common ancestor that does not have the characters internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg, as those characters are only present in species that branch off later on the cladogram. Therefore, statement B is true. Statement A is incorrect because the cladogram does not show that a three-chambered heart is the most inclusive character. Statement C is incorrect because the notochord is present in the common ancestor to all organisms on the cladogram, as it is shown in the branch closest to the root. Statement D is incorrect because the two organisms furthest from each other, snake and eel, share more than two common characters. Statement E is partially correct, as the long cylindrical body is useful in placing the snake and eel into the cladogram, but it is not related to the internal fertilization or amniotic membrane in egg characters.

Which of the Following Statements Is True About the Shown