Two of your classmates are arguing The first who is working

Two of your classmates are arguing. The first, who is working on relationships of all vertebrates, claims that having legs is an apomorphy, while the second, working on relationships in reptiles, claims that it is a primitive character. Which one is right? Or are both wrong or right? Explain your answer.

Solution

Both of them are right. This is because advanced character is the one feature that is developed in a clade or group of organisms having a recent common ancestor. Primitive character is the feature descended from common ancestor. Apomorphy or advanced trait is usually observed in a clade might be primitive in a lineage that are descended from a common ancestor. This can be best explained by legs of vertebrates. The vertebrate legs are apomorphy or advanced condition, as they are appear in the clade. Legs of tetrapods are primitive because they are descended from the common ancestor. Thus, having legs is both an apomorphy and as well as a primitive character too.