Alright, I think that is probably enough phylogenetic tree making for today. Hopefully, you can now be able to read these amazing evolutionary tools. And now some final EOC questions and essay!!! Yay!

Question

This cladogram shows the evolutionary relationships among some mammals based on homologous structures

Which statement is supported by this cladogram?

(1 point)
Responses

Javelinas and pigs are more closely related than baleen whales and toothed whales
Javelinas and pigs are more closely related than baleen whales and toothed whales

Cows and mouse deer are more closely related than javelinas and pigs.
Cows and mouse deer are more closely related than javelinas and pigs.

Hippopotamuses are more closely related to cows than to javelinas
Hippopotamuses are more closely related to cows than to javelinas

Toothed whales are more closely related to mouse deer than to hippopotamuses.

Answer 1

To determine which statement is supported by the cladogram, we need to analyze the relationships between the groups depicted in the tree based on their branching patterns.

1. Javelinas and pigs are more closely related than baleen whales and toothed whales.

   • This statement could be true if javelinas and pigs share a more recent common ancestor than either of the whale groups.

2. Cows and mouse deer are more closely related than javelinas and pigs.

   • This statement would be true if cows and mouse deer are shown to diverge from a common ancestor more recently than javelinas and pigs.

3. Hippopotamuses are more closely related to cows than to javelinas.

   • This would be true if hippopotamuses and cows share a more recent common ancestor than they do with javelinas.

4. Toothed whales are more closely related to mouse deer than to hippopotamuses.

   • This would depend on the branching order indicating the relationships of these groups.

In general, to determine the correct answer, trace the branches back to their nodes in the cladogram. Without seeing the actual cladogram, I cannot definitively answer which one of these statements is correct. However, statements regarding shared common ancestors that depict closer relationships among groups based on their most recent branching points are generally accurate in a cladogram context.

If you have specific relationships depicted in the cladogram, please share that information, and I can help you analyze it further!