Question

use the following cladogram to answer the questions below.

1. what trait separates lampreys from tuna on this cladogram?
2. what trait separates a salamander from a turtle?
3. what traits do leopards share with tuna?
4. mark a star at the common ancestor of salamanders and turtles.

Explanation:

1. On the cladogram, the trait that separates lampreys from tuna is jaws. Lampreys lack jaws while tuna have jaws.
2. The trait that separates a salamander from a turtle is the amniotic egg. Salamanders do not have amniotic eggs, while turtles do.
3. Leopards and tuna share the traits of a vertebral column and jaws. Both are vertebrates and have jaws.
4. The common - ancestor of salamanders and turtles is the point on the cladogram where the branches leading to salamanders and turtles diverge. You would mark a star at the node just below the "Amniotic egg" label.

Answer:

1. Jaws
2. Amniotic egg
3. Vertebral column, Jaws
4. Mark a star at the node just below the "Amniotic egg" label on the cladogram.