SC.912.L.15.1 - Comparative Anatomy

Front

Why don’t we have a complete fossil record of all life that’s ever lived?

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Fossil formation requires a rare mix of conditions, fossils must be exposed to be found, and they can be destroyed by erosion, melting, or composition changes.

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Why can oceanic islands be home to species found nowhere else on Earth?

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Islands are often isolated, minimizing gene flow and maximizing diversification.

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What do phylogenic trees do?

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Help you visualize how species are related.

Front

What is NOT true about the evidence that fossils provide?

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All fossils contain intact DNA that can be sequenced

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Structures with the same parts have different functions; suggests that organisms share a common ancestry

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homologous structures

Front

If an organism has a vestigial structure, that structure likely once had a function in a(n)

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early ancestor

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The process by which populations slowly change over time is called

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evolution

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Some organisms that share a common ancestor have features that have different functions, but similar structures.

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homologous structures

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Study of embryos of various organisms to show a common ancestor because of similarities in development

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embryology

Front

Which of the following is an example of a vestigial structure? Options: the wings of a red-tailed hawk, the hind limbs of a house cat, the fins of sharks, the tailbone of a human

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the tailbone of a human