Why are protists not considered a clade?

1 Answer
Kate M.
Sep 18, 2016

Protists are diverse and do not have one exclusive common ancestor.

Explanation:

Protists are diverse and do not have one exclusive common ancestor. This is an informal term that is no longer representative of current scientific knowledge.

A clade is a group of organisms that we believe evolved from a common ancestor, thus protists do not fit into one single clade.

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