AP BIOLOGY

EVOLUTION

EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION

Question [CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
The number and location of bones of many fossil vertebrates are similar to those in living vertebrates. Most biologists would probably explain this fact on the basis of
A
the needs of the organisms
B
a common ancestor.
C
the struggle for existence.
D
the inheritance of acquired traits.
Explanation: 

Detailed explanation-1: -a common ancestor Some vertebrates have similar bones or location because they reflect their evolutionary history or phylogeny.

Detailed explanation-2: -Similarities in embryos are likely to be evidence of common ancestry. All vertebrate embryos, for example, have gill slits and tails. All of the embryos in Figure 9.3. 4, except for fish, lose their gill slits by adulthood, and some of them also lose their tail.

Detailed explanation-3: -Fossils, along with the comparative anatomy of present-day organisms, constitute the morphological, or anatomical, record. By comparing the anatomies of both modern and extinct species, paleontologists can infer the lineages of those species.

Detailed explanation-4: -Homologous features If two or more species share a unique physical feature, such as a complex bone structure or a body plan, they may all have inherited this feature from a common ancestor. Physical features shared due to evolutionary history (a common ancestor) are said to be homologous.

Detailed explanation-5: -Similar body parts may be homologies or analogies. Both provide evidence for evolution. Homologous structures are structures that are similar in related organisms because they were inherited from a common ancestor. These structures may or may not have the same function in the descendants.

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