8
lesson pretestMultiple Choice

Pretest

Question 8 • CMS 2026-2027 Biology CREDIT RECOVERY

It can be seen on a cladogram that modern birds and reptiles share a common ancestor. Select the piece of evidence that best supports this idea.

Answer
A
Birds have evolved into many groups.
B
Feathers are a derived characteristic that first evolved in reptiles.
C
Reptiles are also related to mammals.
D
Birds have the derived characteristic of being warm blooded, like mammals.

Explanation

A shared derived characteristic can be evidence that groups descended from a common ancestor. If feathers first evolved in reptiles, then birds inherited this trait from an ancestor within the reptile lineage. The fact that birds have many groups or share warm-bloodedness with mammals does not specifically support a common ancestor with reptiles.

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.

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