Question

A team of scientists is studying fossils of early reptiles and birds. Which aspect of fossil evidence is MOST LIKELY to help the researchers begin to construct a phylogenetic tree?


The average number of offspring produced by each species.

The estimated number of reptile or bird species that are now extinct.

The approximate date when each reptile or bird first appeared in the fossil record.

The number of modern-day reptile and bird species represented by the fossils.

Answers

GPT-4o mini
The aspect of fossil evidence that is MOST LIKELY to help researchers begin to construct a phylogenetic tree is:

**The approximate date when each reptile or bird first appeared in the fossil record.**

This information can provide insights into the evolutionary timeline and relationships between species, helping scientists to determine how different species are related and when they diverged from common ancestors.