Who first strongly incorporated 'evolutionary relationships' into the classification of living organisms?

Correct answer: Engler and Prantl

Engler and Prantl developed an influential early classification of flowering plants that tried to arrange groups in an evolutionary sequence. Their work is therefore commonly described in school biology as an early phylogenetic system. It attempted to use relationships among plant groups rather than classifying them only by a few convenient visible characters. This marks an important movement toward evolutionary thinking in plant classification.

Option B is the expected answer. Linnaeus established a highly useful binomial and mainly artificial classification, but he did not build his system around modern evolutionary descent. Aristotle made an early broad division of living things, and Bentham produced a natural system of plant classification. The wording “first strongly” is historical and can depend on the textbook’s convention, but within the usual school-level account, Engler and Prantl are the accepted choice.