Final answer:
Birds and insects would not constitute a clade.
Step-by-step explanation:
A clade is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants. To determine which of the following options would not constitute a clade, we need to consider the evolutionary relationships between the groups. Consulting the modern phylogenetic tree of animals, the option that would not constitute a clade is d) Birds and insects.
According to the phylogenetic tree, birds are descended from dinosaurs and belong within the reptile clade. Insects, on the other hand, belong to a different evolutionary lineage called arthropods. Therefore, birds and insects do not share a common ancestor and would not constitute a clade.
Based on this information, the correct answer is d) Birds and insects.
Consulting the modern phylogenetic tree of animals, the group that would not constitute a clade is Birds and insects. This is because a clade includes an ancestor and all of its descendants, based on cladistics which is a method of comparing traits to determine evolutionary relationships. In a phylogenetic context, clades are monophyletic, meaning they consist of all the descendants of a common ancestor.