Question

Peyton draws a cladogram using a cat, whale, praying mantis, and water boatman. She uses the diagram showing homologous and analogous structures to help her with her cladogram.



Which organisms does she draw on the same branch, showing a common ancestor?

a
whale and water boatman
b
praying mantis and whale
c
praying mantis and cat
d
praying mantis and water boatman

Answers

GPT-4o mini
To determine which organisms Peyton would draw on the same branch of her cladogram, we need to consider their evolutionary relationships.

1. **Whale and water boatman**: These two organisms are from very different classes (mammals and insects) and do not share a recent common ancestor, so they would not be on the same branch.

2. **Praying mantis and whale**: These also belong to different classes and do not have a close evolutionary relationship, so they would not be on the same branch.

3. **Praying mantis and cat**: These organisms are from different classes as well (insects vs. mammals) and do not share a recent common ancestor.

4. **Praying mantis and water boatman**: Both praying mantises and water boatmen are insects and are more closely related than to whales or cats, so they could share a more recent common ancestor.

Given these relationships, the correct answer is:

**d) praying mantis and water boatman**

They would be drawn on the same branch of the cladogram, indicating they have a more recent common ancestor compared to the other pairs listed.