Final answer:
The statement is TRUE as a monophyletic group, also known as a clade, includes an ancestor and all of its descendants. This concept is foundational in phylogenetics and helps construct phylogenetic trees to visualize evolutionary relationships.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that a monophyletic group is a group of organisms consisting of a common ancestor and all of its descendants, also known as a clade, is TRUE. A clade is a significant concept in phylogenetics, the study of evolutionary relationships among organisms. Such a group is fundamentally based on common ancestry and includes all the organisms that have descended from a single ancestor. The term 'monophyletic' breaks down into 'mono-', meaning single or one, and '-phyletic', which refers to the evolutionary lineage or relationships.
Understanding the concept of clades is essential for constructing a phylogenetic tree, which visually represents the evolutionary paths taken by different species. With each branching point on a phylogenetic tree, a new clade is formed, representing a distinct evolutionary path. Groups that diverge at different branch points or do not encompass all descendants from a single branch point are not considered clades. This distinction is crucial for understanding how various species are related and how they have evolved over time.