Question 1
Multiple choiceMedium1 markA conservation team compares four candidate species. The tree shows their relationships and relative branch lengths; the status labels show whether each species is globally endangered. Which candidate best fits the EDGE programme’s conservation-prioritization rationale?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. EDGE prioritization considers both evolutionary distinctness and global endangerment. The tree shows that Species L has a longer branch not shared with close relatives than Species M: 5 units compared with 1 unit. Both are globally endangered, whereas Species K’s longer independent branch is labelled not globally endangered. Species L therefore fits both considerations.
A: selects the longest independent lineage but overlooks that Species K is not globally endangered.
C: uses the global-endangerment label but overlooks that Species M shares most of its recent lineage with Species N.
D: could result from misreading Species N’s status; it is not globally endangered and has only a short unshared branch.
Remember: EDGE combines evolutionary distinctness with global endangerment.