Nonavian Reptiles are a Paraphyletic Group Because

Question

Nonavian reptiles are a paraphyletic group because
A)they do not have a common ancestry.
B)they have a common ancestry.
C)they do not include all descendants of their most recent common ancestor.
D)they include all descendants of their most recent common ancestor.

Accepted Answer

Nonavian reptiles are a paraphyletic group because they do not include all descendants of their most recent common ancestor. This is because some descendants of the common ancestor have evolved into birds which are not included in the nonavian reptile group. Therefore, the nonavian reptile group is not a monophyletic group.