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If a phylogenetic tree has 4 individuals from the same family and 1 individual from a different family, is it a monophyletic or paraphyletic tree?

A. Monophyletic

B. Paraphyletic

C. Neither

D. Both

1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct answer is B. Paraphyletic, since the grouping includes an individual from a different family that does not share the most recent common ancestor with the other four individuals from the same family.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a phylogenetic tree includes four individuals from the same family and one individual from a different family, the classification of the tree would depend on the specific arrangement of these species. A monophyletic group, also known as a clade, is a group of organisms that includes an ancestor and all of its descendants. Therefore, if the tree includes one single common ancestor from which all five individuals have descended, it would be considered a monophyletic group, option A. However, if the individual from a different family is included in the group but does not share the most recent common ancestor that the other four do, then the group would be paraphyletic. A paraphyletic group consists of an ancestral species and some, but not all, of its descendants.

In the context provided, if we are considering only the individuals from the same family, the phylogenetic tree is monophyletic. However, if you include the individual from the different family and it does not share the same recent common ancestor, then the grouping becomes paraphyletic. Since the question specifies that there is one individual from a different family present in the tree, the correct answer would be B. Paraphyletic.

Clades are essential to understanding phylogenetic trees because they represent a single branch on the tree, indicating that all organisms within the clade stem from a single point, which is a shared common ancestor.

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