AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Which species are more related? In a phylogenetic tree, the relatedness of two species has a very specific meaning. Two species are more related if they have a more recent common ancestor, and less related if they have a less recent common ancestor.

Detailed explanation-2: -Biogeography, the study of the geographical distribution of organisms, provides information about how and when species may have evolved. Fossils provide evidence of long-term evolutionary changes, documenting the past existence of species that are now extinct.

Detailed explanation-3: -Darwin (20) argued that closely related species compete most intensely, because they have similar morphologies and niches.

Detailed explanation-4: -As organisms adapt and evolve, not everything about them changes. The differences, such as the zebra’s stripes, show that each species adapted to its own environment after branching off from the common ancestor. The bodies of deer, moose, zebras, and horses are very similar, and these animals are very closely related.