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.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A shared ancestral characteristic in cladistics, also known as a symplesiomorphy, is a trait that is found in both the outgroup and the ingroup. This indicates that the characteristic was present in a common ancestor before the evolutionary lineage split into the outgroup and the various lineages within the ingroup.

A Shared Ancestral Characteristic Used in Cladistics Is Found