alleryStart learning →A shared trait is only useful for building a cladogram if it is:
ADerived rather than ancestral
BAncestral rather than derived
CVisible to the naked eye
DPresent in every species
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Derived rather than ancestral
1. Cladograms work by splitting a group into subgroups.
2. Cladograms are constructed by using shared derived traits.
3. Those traits distinguish different groups of species from one another.
4. A trait inherited by everyone in the group cannot distinguish anyone within it.
5. Whether it is visible to the eye is irrelevant, since molecular traits work equally well.
_Source: OpenStax Biology for AP(R) Courses (CC BY 4.0), Ch 20 'Phylogenies and the History of Life', sections 20.1-20.3_
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