Protists are Not Considered to Represent a Complete Evolutionary Lineage

Question

Protists are not considered to represent a complete evolutionary lineage because
A)there are three lineages within the group.
B)they evolved long ago.
C)they evolved recently.
D)there is only one lineage within the group.

Accepted Answer

Protists are not considered to represent a complete evolutionary lineage because they are a diverse group consisting of three separate lineages - algae, protozoa, and slime molds. Each of these lineages evolved independently and do not share a common ancestor. Therefore, they cannot be considered a single evolutionary lineage.