Interpreting and constructing phylogenetic trees

What type of data is considered most reliable for drawing phylogenetic trees?

• Morphological data

• Biochemical data

• Molecular data

• Behavioral data

Why should one be cautious when using morphological data due to convergent evolution?

• It can exaggerate similarities

• It can underestimate evolutionary time

• It can mislead about evolutionary relationships

• It can overestimate DNA similarities

What does a shared ancestral trait indicate in a phylogenetic tree?

• None of the above

• A trait unique to one species

• A recent mutation

• A trait shared by all descendants

What does the presence of very few amino acid differences between two species suggest?

• They belong to different classes

• They are not related

• They have a distant common ancestor

• They have a recent common ancestor

How do molecular clocks assist in phylogenetic analysis?

• By showing physical traits

• By indicating mutation rates

• By revealing fossil ages

• By comparing sizes of organisms