Chapter 18, Problem 14STP

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The characteristics of the plants that separate them from the other organisms.

Introduction:

The cladogram is a pictorial representation of the group of organisms that share an ancestral relationship. The cladogram is used for the study of the phylogenetic and comparison of different organisms.

Explanation of Solution

The plant cladogram represents the group of the ancestors from which the photosynthetic organisms are separated into two groups on the basis of alteration of generations. The algae are the outgroup and they do not represent alteration of generation. All other plants including vascular and avascular have the quality of alteration of generation. Hence, the characteristic that separate plant from other organism that can perform photosynthesis is alteration of generation.