Question

The tips and nodes of the phylogenetic tree represent X and Y. Identify X and Y.

• A. X - organisms, Y - common ancestor
• B. X - organ, Y - successive generation
• C. X - parent generation, Y - offsprings
• D. X - common ancestor, Y - organisms

Answer 1

The correct option is A X - organisms, Y - common ancestor

Classification based on the evolutionary features of the organisms is known as the phylogenetic system of classification. Phylogenetic trees are used to represent the evolutionary relationships between organisms.
The tips of the tree represent the organisms and the nodes on the tree represent the common ancestors of those descendants.

For example, the following image has a phylogenetic tree. According to it, lemon, mandarin, sweet orange and blood orange have a common ancestor. Out of all of these, sweet orange and blood orange are the closest evolutionarily.