The cladogram below was created to show the evolutionary relationships between different vertebrates.

which of the following inferences can be made, based on this information?

a. amphibians and birds share a more recent common evolutionary ancestor than sharks and birds.
b. birds and sharks do not share a common evolutionary ancestor.
c. having a bony skeleton did not provide an evolutionary advantage to sharks or ray-finned fish.
d. rabbits and primates diverged more recently than crocodiles and birds.

a. Amphibians and birds share a more recent common evolutionary ancestor than sharks and birds.

Explanation:

A cladogram is a diagrammatic representation of the phylogenetic relationship of recently evolved species with their common ancestors. The relationship is defined on the basis of genetic, molecular, morphological make up of the organisms. The node in the cladogram defines a divergence or difference between the two taxon.

Birds and amphibians share a more recent common ancestor than shark and birds because they can be seen lying closer at the terminal ends of the cladogram.