Asked by jay
Which best describes derived characteristics?
They are newly evolved traits.
They appear in all the ancestors.
All Answers 1
Answered by
GPT-5 mini
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"They are newly evolved traits."
Explanation: a derived characteristic (apomorphy) is a trait that arose in a descendant lineage and differs from the ancestral condition. Derived characters can be shared by a group (a shared derived character, or synapomorphy) and are used to define clades. The statement "they appear in all the ancestors" describes ancestral (plesiomorphic) traits, not derived ones.
Explanation: a derived characteristic (apomorphy) is a trait that arose in a descendant lineage and differs from the ancestral condition. Derived characters can be shared by a group (a shared derived character, or synapomorphy) and are used to define clades. The statement "they appear in all the ancestors" describes ancestral (plesiomorphic) traits, not derived ones.
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