Question

Your professor wants you to construct a phylogenetic tree of orchids. She gives you tissue from 52) seven orchid species and one lily. What is the most likely reason she gave you the lily? A) to serve as an outgroup B) to demonstrate likely homoplasies C) to see if the lily and the orchids show all the same shared derived characters (synapomorphies) D) to see if the lily is a cryptic orchid species

Answer 1

The answer is A, to serve as an outgroup.

Step-by-step explanation:

The study of any phylogenetic group requires that there must be an outgroup that can serve to understand which characters are plesiomorphic (or ancestral) and how they changed over the years to a new evolved character. In this case, Lily, since it is not a member of the group which is under study (orchid), serves as an outgroup.