Final answer:
The statement that can be inferred from the cladogram is that species in the same group (or clade) have similar characteristics, as clades represent groups of organisms that share a common ancestor and hence derive similar traits from it. Option 1 is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
From the cladogram presented, the statement that can be inferred is that species in the same group have similar characteristics. This is because a cladogram is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships among a group of organisms.
The cladogram works by grouping organisms into clades, which include an ancestor and all of its descendants, suggesting these organisms share certain characteristics that have been derived from a common ancestor. These characteristics can be morphological or genetic in nature.
As clades are identified based on shared derived characteristics, this confirms that species within the same group, or clade, share similarities due to their common evolutionary history.
Moreover, cladistics assumes that speciation occurs by splits of one species into two and that we can determine the actual direction of character changes (polarity), such as the presence of an amniotic egg, which is shared among lizards, rabbits, and humans, indicating their common ancestry. By looking at these derived characteristics, scientists can make inferences about the relationships between groups and the evolutionary history of species.
Thus, the correct answer to the question based on the information from the cladogram would be option 1) Species in the same group have similar characteristics.