The term "clade" most closely refers to:

A) a class.
B) the binomial system of classification.
C) a mechanism of horizontal gene transfer.
D) a subspecies of organisms does not include a subgenus.
E) a group of organisms that share common characteristics inherited from a common ancestor.

A clade refers to a group of organisms that are classified together based on the principle that they share a common ancestor, indicating a branch on the tree of life that includes all the descendants of a common ancestor. This is a fundamental concept in phylogenetics, the study of the evolutionary relationships among species.