A Phylogenetic Tree is A

Question

A phylogenetic tree is a:
A)hypothesis about the evolutionary history of species.
B)guess about the evolutionary history of species.
C)factual representation of the evolutionary history of species.
D)detailed timeline of a species' evolutionary history.
E)None of the answer options is correct.

Accepted Answer

A phylogenetic tree is a hypothesis about the evolutionary history of species based on genetic and morphological data. It is a diagrammatic representation of the relationships among species, with the branches representing evolutionary lineages and the tips representing extant or extinct taxa. The tree can be modified as new data becomes available, and it is subject to revision as new evidence emerges. Therefore, it is not a guess or a factual representation but rather a working hypothesis that can be refined and tested over time.