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The phylogenetic tree below shows the evolutionary relationships among several organisms.

Arrange three organisms in the correct order to show the phylogenetic history of a chicken.

User Chara
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Final answer:

To show the phylogenetic history of a chicken using a phylogenetic tree, one would start with an early reptile, then a theropod dinosaur, and finally, a modern bird. Cladistics would be used to determine these relationships based on shared derived characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

The phylogenetic tree is a diagram that represents the evolutionary relationships between various organisms. To show the phylogenetic history of a chicken, we would need to look at a phylogenetic tree that includes birds and their closest relatives. Since the student's question does not provide the specific organisms or the actual tree, I can use general knowledge to demonstrate what such an arrangement might look like.

Typically, on a phylogenetic tree, birds (including chickens) would fall within the reptile clade, showing that birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs, which are a subgroup of reptiles. Therefore, the correct order to show the phylogenetic history of a chicken might start with an early reptile, then move to a theropod dinosaur, and finally to a modern bird, which includes chickens.

The most important aspects are evolutionary pathways, common ancestors, and cladistics, which help in understanding the relationships among species on such trees. Cladistics is a method that scientists use to create clades based on shared derived characteristics. This analytical approach allows us to propose hypothetical but scientifically supported relationships between species, both living and extinct.

User Mushy
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