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Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements correctly explains why the kingdom Protista has been abandoned?
A
Protista was found to be a polyphyletic group, meaning its members do not share a single common ancestor.
B
Protista included only multicellular organisms, which conflicted with new discoveries.
C
Protista was abandoned because it contained only prokaryotic organisms.
D
Protista was merged with the kingdom Plantae due to genetic similarities.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the term 'polyphyletic group': A polyphyletic group consists of organisms that do not share a single common ancestor, meaning they are grouped together based on similarities that are not inherited from a common ancestor.
Review the characteristics of the kingdom Protista: Protista was historically a diverse group that included unicellular and simple multicellular organisms, such as algae, protozoa, and slime molds.
Analyze why Protista was abandoned: Advances in genetic and molecular studies revealed that the organisms classified under Protista were not closely related and did not share a single evolutionary lineage, making the group polyphyletic.
Eliminate incorrect statements: Protista was not abandoned because it contained only prokaryotic organisms (it included eukaryotes), nor was it merged with Plantae. Additionally, Protista included both unicellular and multicellular organisms, so the statement about only multicellular organisms is incorrect.
Conclude with the correct explanation: The kingdom Protista was abandoned because it was found to be a polyphyletic group, meaning its members do not share a single common ancestor, which conflicted with the principles of modern taxonomy.