A researcher is trying to construct a molecular-based phylogeny of the entire animal kingdom. Assuming that none of the following genes are absolutely conserved, which of the following would be the best choice on which to base the phylogeny?
A) genes involved in chitin synthesis
B) collagen genes
C) genes involved in directing segmentation development
D) genes involved in eye-lens synthesis

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Collagen genes are found in all animals and are involved in the formation of key structures such as connective tissues and the extracellular matrix. Thus, these genes are more likely to accurately reflect the evolutionary history of the entire animal kingdom compared to genes involved in more specialized processes such as chitin synthesis or eye-lens synthesis.

A Researcher Is Trying to Construct a Molecular-Based Phylogeny of the Entire