Imagine that you are chatting with one of your friends. He states that reptiles are obviously a monophyletic group, as this group contains all of the organisms (outside of fish) that possess scales. This statement is:
A)as monophyletic groups are based solely on the morphological characteristics of their included species.
B)true, as the reptile group includes all of the organisms derived from a common ancestor on the phylogenetic tree.
C)false, as reptiles are a polyphyletic group, much like birds and bats.
D)false, as reptiles are a paraphyletic group; this group does not include birds, even though birds share a common ancestor with reptiles.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Reptiles are a paraphyletic group, meaning they do not include all of the descendants of a common ancestor. Birds, which share a common ancestor with reptiles, are not included in the reptile group, making it paraphyletic. Scales are not a sufficient characteristic to define a monophyletic group, as other groups (such as some fish) also possess scales.

Imagine That You Are Chatting with One of Your Friends