Question

Choose the correct answers from the alternatives given.
In an evolutionary tree diagram, a branch point represents .........., and a branch that ends represents ..........

• A. a single species; incomplete data on lineage
• B. a single species; a time of extinction
• C. a time of divergence; extinction
• D. a time of divergence; speciation complete

Answer 1

The correct option is D a time of divergence; speciation complete

The root of the tree represents the ancestral lineage, and the tips of the branches represent the descendants of that ancestor. As you move from the root to the tips, you are moving forward in time. When a lineage splits (speciation), it is represented as branching on a phylogeny.

The correct option is D, a time of divergence; speciation complete.