Use the figure to answer the following question.

If the figure above is an accurate depiction of relatedness, then which of the following should be an accurate statement?
A) The entire tree is based on minimum parsimony.
B) If all species depicted here make up a taxon, this taxon is paraphyletic.
C) The last common ancestor of species B and C occurred more recently than the last common ancestor of species D and E.
D) Species A is the direct ancestor of both species B and species C.

Question

Use the figure to answer the following question.

If the figure above is an accurate depiction of relatedness, then which of the following should be an accurate statement?
A) The entire tree is based on minimum parsimony. 
B) If all species depicted here make up a taxon, this taxon is paraphyletic. 
C) The last common ancestor of species B and C occurred more recently than the last common ancestor of species D and E. 
D) Species A is the direct ancestor of both species B and species C.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Based on the figure, the last common ancestor of species B and C occurred after the last common ancestor of species D and E. This can be deduced by following the lineages back to the common ancestral node. The figure does not provide any information about minimum parsimony or whether the taxon is paraphyletic. There is also no evidence to suggest that species A is the direct ancestor of both species B and C.

Use the Figure to Answer the Following Question