Final answer:
The statement is false; cladistics makes evolutionary interpretations based on shared derived characters, not just ancestral ones, and utilizes cladograms and phylogenetic trees as tools.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cladistics is false in that it makes evolutionary interpretations based solely on shared ancestral characters. Cladistics, or the concept of cladograms, is an approach to systematics that classifies organisms by their order of branching in an evolutionary tree. A cladogram will show a series of branch points, or nodes, with each point representing a divergence from a common ancestor. A key factor in cladistics is the use of both homologous ancestral characters and shared derived characters to determine evolutionary relationships. It's important to note that while ancestral characteristics like opposable thumbs in humans are interesting, they are not as informative in cladistics as derived characteristics. An example of a derived characteristic unique to humans is the chin. Cladograms and phylogenetic trees - graphical representations of evolutionary history - are based on a range of evidence, including physical and genetic, and can vary in size depending on which branch of the evolutionary tree is being referenced.