Systematists have used a wide variety of traits to reconstruct the phylogenies of particular groups of organisms. Which one of t
he following traits produces a good estimate of phylogeny? 1. molecular traits
2. gross morphological traits
3. behavioral traits
4. biochemical traits
5. all of the above traits combined
A phylogenetic tree is a diagram that shows the evolutionary relationships between various biological organisms. During the construction of the phylogenetic tree systematists observe different types of traits, such as:
Derived traits-A trait found in the present organism, but was absent in the ancestor organism.
Ancestral trait- A trait that the present organism inherited from their ancestral organism.
Phylogeny has to do with the study of evolutionary relationships among living organisms based on the premise of the theory of organic evolution that states that all living organisms came from a common ancestor.
Phylogeny incorporates molecular, morphological, anatomical, biochemical and behavioural traits in order to arrive at a phylogenetic tree that represents ancestral lineages.
