What Is a Polyphyletic Group Quizlet?

Polyphyletic. a group that does not include the most recent common ancestor

most recent common ancestor
In biology and genealogy, the most recent common ancestor (MRCA), last common ancestor (LCA), or concestor of a set of organisms is the most recent individual from which all the organisms of the set are descended. The term is also used in reference to the ancestry of groups of genes (haplotypes) rather than organisms.
› Most_recent_common_ancestor
of its member. Paraphyletic. most recent common ancestor if the group but not all of its descendents.

What is a polyphyletic group?

Polyphyletic taxon : A group composed of a collection of organisms in which the most recent common ancestor of all the included organisms is not included, usually because the common ancestor lacks the characteristics of the group.

What does a polyphyletic group represent quizlet?

A polyphyletic taxon occurs when organisms are grouped together using analogous features that are a product of convergent evolution. Many protist phyla turn out to be polyphyletic: e.g., algae.

James H. Sterling

James H. Sterling

Environmental Science & Climate Journalist

James Sterling reports on renewable energy developments, climate policy, ecological conservation, and green tech innovations around the globe.