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Reptiles are ________with respect to birds. Bony fishes are paraphyletic with respect to tetrapods

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Final answer:

Reptiles are tetrapods and this classification includes four major living clades. Their paraphyletic relationship with birds excludes avian reptiles. Bony fishes, forming a clade called Osteichthyes, are paraphyletic with regard to tetrapods, including some but not all descendants of their common ancestor.

Step-by-step explanation:

Reptiles are classified as tetrapods, a group that traditionally includes organisms with a four-limbed evolutionary history and includes amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. However, some reptiles, like snakes, have secondarily lost their limbs and yet are still categorized as tetrapods because they share common ancestors with four-limbed species. An important characteristic that enabled reptiles to prosper on land is their scaly skin, which contains keratin that helps prevent water loss. The living clades of nonavian reptiles include Crocodilia (crocodiles and alligators), Sphenodontia (tuataras), Squamata (lizards and snakes), and Testudines (turtles). This classification of reptiles is considered paraphyletic as it excludes birds, which are actually closely related to the reptilian group and are classified as avian reptiles.

Bony fishes are part of a larger clade known as the Osteichthyes, which split into two main groups: the Actinopterygii, or ray-finned fishes, and the Sarcopterygii, or lobe-finned fishes. The latter group, although having very few extant species, is notable for giving rise to tetrapods. Hence, bony fishes are paraphyletic with respect to tetrapods, as they include ancestors of the tetrapods within their classification, essentially meaning they form a group that includes some but not all descendants from a common ancestor.

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