Question

Based on the character table in Part B, which of the following statements about shared derived characters in plants is correct?

A. Seeds are a shared derived character of pines, cherries, and peas.
B. Flowers and fruit are shared derived characters of ferns, pines, peas, and cherries.
C. Cones are a shared derived character of pines, peas, and cherries.
D. The vascular system is a shared derived character of mosses and ferns.

Answer 1

Seeds are a shared derived character of pines, cherries, and peas, as they all produce seeds. Cones are specific to gymnosperms like pines, while flowers and fruit are characteristic of angiosperms, but not gymnosperms or ferns. The vascular system is a derived character of ferns, not mosses.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on character tables and the distinctions between shared ancestral and shared derived characters, we can determine the correct statement about plants. Seeds are a shared derived character of pines, cherries, and peas, because these plants are part of a group known as seed plants, and all seed plants produce seeds. However, it's important to note that the seeds of gymnosperms like pines are exposed, while those of angiosperms like cherries and peas are enclosed in fruit. Flowers and fruit are characteristic of angiosperms, thus ferns and pines do not share these derived characters. Cones are a shared derived character of gymnosperms like pines, but not of peas and cherries, which are angiosperms. Lastly, a vascular system is a shared derived character of ferns as they are vascular plants, but not of mosses, which are nonvascular plants.