Question

If species A and species B are in the same family, and species C is in a different family, and if the classification accurately reflects phylogeny, then you can infer that __________.

A. A is more closely related to C than B is to A
B. A and B have a more recent common ancestor than do A and C
C. C is more closely related to A than A is to B
D. A and C have a more recent common ancestor than do A and B

Answer 1

Option (B), Species A and B are in the same family and thus have a more recent common ancestor than either does with species C, which is in a different family.

Step-by-step explanation:

If species A and species B are in the same family, and species C is in a different family, and if the classification accurately reflects phylogeny, then you can infer that species A and B have a more recent common ancestor than do A and C. This conclusion is based on the way taxonomic classification is structured, where organisms that are in the same family are considered to be more closely related to each other compared to those in different families.

The notion of more recent common ancestor indicates that species A and B, by being in the same family, share a more recent branching event in the phylogenetic tree compared to the branching event that relates them to species C from a different family.