Modern Trends in Classification · NCERT Biology

Which of the following is an advantage of molecular phylogeny over traditional morphology?

  1. It can be performed without using any laboratory equipment.
  2. It is not affected by convergent evolution (analogous traits).
  3. It only works reliably on long-extinct fossil species.
  4. It is based on the local common names of the organisms.
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Correct answer: It is not affected by convergent evolution (analogous traits).

Traditional morphology can be confused by convergent evolution, where unrelated species look similar due to environment. Molecular data looks at the underlying genetic code, which is less likely to produce such misleading similarities.

Difficulty: Medium Question 19 of 20

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