Good Evening, I am working on some biology review questions and am having troubl

Question

Good Evening,

I am working on some biology review questions and am having trouble answering one related to taxonomy.

Traditionally, zoologists have placed birds in their own class, Aves. More recently, molecular evidence has shown that birds are more closely related to reptiles than their anatomy reveals. Genetically, birds are more closely related to crocodiles than crocodiles are to turtles. Thus, bird anatomy has become highly modified as they have adapted to flight, without their genes having undergone nearly as much change. Taxonomically, what should be done with the birds?

A. The traditional stance is correct. Such dramatic morphological change as undergone by birds merits that the birds be placed in their own order, separate from the reptiles.
B. The birds should be reclassified, and their new taxon should be the subclass Aves. Genetic similarity trumps morphological dissimilarity.
C. The rest of the reptiles should be reclassified as a subclass within the class Aves.
D. Science is consensual. Taxonomy is a science. Variant classification schemes involving the birds should be tolerated until consensus is reached.
I thought the answer was choice B, but apparently this is incorrect, so I would appreciate any input.
Thank you very much!

Explanation / Answer

While I agree with the your original answer of B, I would have chosen A. First off, C would not work since Taxonomy also considers evolutionary timelines, and it birds have evolved from reptiles, not the other way around. As for D... science is not consensual. Taxonomy is. So, in the end, you are left with A, which makes perfect sense when you consider that birds have evolved from reptiles. Most taxonomic trees placing them as an extant branch of dinosaurs. And that unlike reptiles, birds are warm blooded, which warrants their own order.

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