Which of the following is the BEST explanation of why Plasmodium and ape phylogenies do not show a pattern of co-speciation?
A)The ape phylogeny is incorrect and gorillas should be the closest relative to humans.
B)Unlike the parasites in other host-parasite relationships, Plasmdium species are not an obligate parasite of humans.
C)Ancestral humans may have had interactions with members of all other ape lineages and infection was random.
D)Rates of speciation are slower in Plasmodium than humans, so the phylogenies would not resemble each other even if they had coevolved with one another.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Plasmodium species are not an obligate parasite of humans, meaning they are capable of infecting and evolving with multiple species of primates, not just humans. Therefore, their evolution and speciation patterns do not necessarily match the phylogenies of their primate hosts.

Which of the Following Is the BEST Explanation of Why