To produce an evolutionary tree it is necessary to first determine
A)which organisms are the oldest.
B)the full DNA sequence of each organism that will be included within the tree.
C)the shared derived features present within each group of organisms.
D)the number of lineages in each group.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To produce an evolutionary tree, it is necessary to determine the shared derived features present within each group of organisms. This is because these features represent evolutionary changes that occurred in the ancestors of the organisms being studied, allowing us to infer their evolutionary relationships. While determining the oldest organisms and the number of lineages in each group may be helpful for understanding the evolution of a particular lineage, it is not essential for building an evolutionary tree. Similarly, while full DNA sequences are useful for some types of phylogenetic analyses, they are not always necessary for producing an evolutionary tree.

To Produce an Evolutionary Tree It Is Necessary to First