GENETICS AND EVOLUTION
EVOLUTION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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Ancestors of whales lived on land.
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Ancestors of whales lived in deep oceans.
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Ancestors of whales were fish-like organisms.
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Ancestors of whales were dependent on the sea for food.
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Detailed explanation-1: -A vestigial organ is present in modern-day species, but its utility is lost. The presence of hip bones in modern whales is an example of a vestigial organ. Which statement can be concluded about the ancestors of whales? Ancestors of whales lived on land.
Detailed explanation-2: -The pelvic bones of whales are “one of the classic examples of a vestigial structure, ” said Otárola-Castillo.
Detailed explanation-3: -A vestigial structure is a biological structure that has lost a major ancestral function and is usually drastically reduced in size. Well-known examples include the eyes of blind cave fishes and blind cave salamanders, and the diminutive wings of kiwis and emus.
Detailed explanation-4: -Examples of vestigial structures include the human appendix, the pelvic bone of a snake, and the wings of flightless birds. Vestigial structures can become detrimental, but in most cases these structures are harmless; however, these structures, like any other structure, require extra energy and are at risk for disease.
Detailed explanation-5: -Therefore, vestigial structures can be considered evidence for evolution, the process by which beneficial heritable traits arise in population over an extended period of time. The existence of vestigial organs can be attributed to changes in the environment and behaviour patterns of the organism in question.