Question

1. what is true about the evolutionary relationships between groups of animals on a phylogenetic tree?

only the animals close to the bottom of the tree share a common ancestor.
the further apart animals are on a tree, the more closely they are related.
animals on a tree are related only if they are on the same branch of the tree.
the closer animals are located on a tree, the more characteristics they share.

Explanation:

• For the first option: All organisms on a phylogenetic tree share a common ancestor (not just those at the bottom), so this is incorrect.
• For the second option: The further apart organisms are on a phylogenetic tree, the more distantly related they are (not more closely), so this is incorrect.
• For the third option: Organisms on different branches can still be related (they share a common ancestor further back), so this is incorrect.
• For the fourth option: Organisms that are closer on a phylogenetic tree share a more recent common ancestor, which means they tend to share more characteristics, so this is correct.

Answer:

D. The closer animals are located on a tree, the more characteristics they share. (Note: Assuming the options are labeled A, B, C, D with the last option being D. If the original labeling is different, adjust accordingly, but the content of the correct option is "The closer animals are located on a tree, the more characteristics they share".)