Unikonta paraphyletic or monophyletic?
Animalia paraphyletic or monophyletic?
To determine whether Unikonta and Animalia are paraphyletic or monophyletic, we need to understand these terms.
Paraphyletic groups are taxonomic groups that include some, but not all, of the descendants from a common ancestor. In other words, paraphyletic groups exclude certain descendants of a common ancestor.
Monophyletic groups, on the other hand, include all the descendants from a common ancestor. Monophyletic groups are also referred to as "clades" or "holophyletic" groups.
Now, let's analyze the two groups in question:
1. Unikonta: Unikonta is a supergroup in the classification of eukaryotes. It includes two major lineages: Amoebozoa and Opisthokonta. Opisthokonta includes animals, fungi, and several other groups. Since animals are included in the Unikonta lineage, Unikonta is considered monophyletic.
2. Animalia: Animalia refers to the Kingdom comprising all animals. Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that obtain nourishment by consuming other organisms. Animalia is considered monophyletic because it includes all the descendants from a common ancestor within the animal kingdom.
Therefore, both Unikonta and Animalia are considered monophyletic groups. They include all the descendants from their respective common ancestors.