According to scientists, cycads share more homologous features with banana plants than they do with mosses.

Question

Which evolutionary tree correctly shows the relationship between cycads, bananas, and mosses?
Choose 1 answer:
Choose 1 answer:
(Choice A) A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled cycad at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled moss. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled banana.
A
A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled cycad at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled moss. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled banana.
(Choice B) A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled moss at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled banana. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled cycad.
B
A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled moss at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled banana. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled cycad.
(Choice C) A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled banana at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled cycad. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled moss.
C
A diagonal line starts at the bottom of a diagram and travels up and to the right. It is labeled banana at the top. Two diagonal lines branch off of this main line and travel up and to the left until they reach the same level as the top of the main line. The shorter of these lines branches off near the top and is labeled cycad. A slightly longer line branches off near the bottom and is labeled moss.

Answer 1

To determine which evolutionary tree correctly shows the relationship between cycads, banana plants, and mosses based on the provided information, we need to focus on the concept of evolutionary relationships and shared homologous features.

Cycads and banana plants share more homologous features compared to mosses. This suggests that cycads and bananas are more closely related to each other than either is to mosses. Therefore, in the evolutionary tree, cycads and banana plants should be placed closer together, while mosses should branch off separately.

Let's analyze the provided choices:

• Choice A: This shows cycads at the top and banana lower down, with moss even lower. This implies that cycads are more closely related to bananas than to mosses, which aligns with the given information.

• Choice B: This places moss at the top, with banana and cycad below it, suggesting that cycads and bananas are not more closely related than they are to mosses. This is incorrect.

• Choice C: This places bananas at the top, with cycad and moss below. Once again, it does not place cycads and bananas closer together than to mosses.

Based on this analysis, Choice A correctly depicts the evolutionary relationship indicating that cycads and bananas are more closely related to each other than either is to mosses.

Therefore, the correct answer is: A.