1) In using cladistical analysis to assemble a hypothetical tree of a group of species, there are several things that must first be known. Of the items listed below, which one states an item that is not essential in order to use cladistics?

A) Have found an outgroup that has the least derived state of the characteristics being compared.
B)Select Have identified homologous characteristics amongst the species being compared.
C) The avoidance of the use of any characteristics that are known to be analogous.
D) The use of as many unique traits as possible.
E) Have identified homologous characteristics amongst the species being compared.

Again, how specifically may be help y ou?

Sra

Um...well what part r we discussing?

Sorry , I'm no help unless ik something more

The item that is not essential in order to use cladistics is D) The use of as many unique traits as possible.

Cladistics is a method used in phylogenetics to determine the evolutionary relationships among a group of species. In order to perform cladistic analysis, there are several important things that must be known:

A) Have found an outgroup that has the least derived state of the characteristics being compared: This means that there should be a species that is closely related to the group being studied but is not part of that group. This helps in determining the ancestral (least derived) characteristics.

B) Have identified homologous characteristics amongst the species being compared: Homologous characteristics are traits that are shared among species due to common ancestry. These traits are important in determining the evolutionary relationships.

C) The avoidance of the use of any characteristics that are known to be analogous: Analogous characteristics are traits that appear similar in different species but are not due to common ancestry. These traits are not suitable for cladistic analysis as they do not reflect the true evolutionary relationships.

E) Have identified homologous characteristics amongst the species being compared: As mentioned earlier, identifying homologous characteristics is crucial to determine the evolutionary relationships among the species.

D) The use of as many unique traits as possible: While it is beneficial to use multiple traits for cladistic analysis, the use of as many unique traits as possible is not essential. It is more important to focus on identifying homologous characteristics and avoiding analogous characteristics.

Therefore, the correct answer is D) The use of as many unique traits as possible.