Which conclusions are best supported by the embryo diagram?

• Organisms that share a common ancestor develop differently through the three phases of development.

• Organisms appear similar in early development because they share a common ancestor.

• Organisms that are more closely related develop faster than other organisms due to sharing a common ancestor.

• Organisms develop at similar rates because they share a common ancestor.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Analyze both the embryo diagram and the skeleton diagram. What types of evidence for common ancestry can be found in each diagram?

• Homologous structures, such as the forelimbs, can be found in the skeleton diagram.

• Homologous structures, such as the forelimbs of the organisms, can only be found in the embryo diagram.

• Similarities in embryological development can be found in both diagrams.

• Pharyngeal pouches can only be found in the skeleton diagram.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Refer to the diagrams of the chicken and tortoise skeletons. Describe how the chicken and tortoise skeletons are similar to one another, include at least 2 examples.

• The chicken and tortoise share many common bone structures. They both have Pharyngeal pouches and Tibias.

• The chicken and tortoise share many common bone structures. They both have vertebrae and femurs.

• The chicken and tortoise share many common bone structures. They both have skulls and phalanges.

• The chicken and tortoise share many common bone structures. They both have a humerus and mandibles.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Refer to the diagrams of the chicken and tortoise embryos. Describe how the chicken and tortoise embryos are similar to one another, include at least 2 examples.

• Comparing embryos of organisms can provide evidence of common ancestry if similar stages of development and similar structures are observed. The embryos both have fibulas and vertebrae.

• Comparing embryos of organisms can provide evidence of common ancestry if similar stages of development and similar structures are observed. The embryos both have skulls and vertebrae.

• Comparing embryos of organisms can provide evidence of common ancestry if similar stages of development and similar structures are observed. The embryos both have tails and vertebrae.

• Comparing embryos of organisms can provide evidence of common ancestry if similar stages of development and similar structures are observed. The embryos both have tails and pharyngeal pouches.

Refer to your answers comparing the embryos and skeletons to infer the chicken and tortoise evolutionary relationship or common ancestry.

• Comparing the adult skeletons of organisms and the embryos of the tortoise and the chick show that they have only 3 of the same characteristics and therefore could not have an evolutionary relationship or a common ancestry.

• Comparing the adult skeletons of organisms and the embryos of the tortoise and the chick show that they have none of the same characteristics and therefore could not have an evolutionary relationship or a common ancestor.

• Comparing the adult skeletons of organisms and the embryos of the tortoise and the chick show that they have many of the same characteristics and therefore could have an evolutionary relationship or a common ancestry.

• Comparing the adult skeletons of organisms and the embryos of the tortoise and the chick show that they are exactly the same, therefore could have an evolutionary relationship or a common ancestry.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Why is it important for scientists to compare both the embryos of organisms as well as the anatomy of the fully formed organisms?

• None of the structures present in the embryo are also present in the fully formed organism.

• All of the structures present in the embryo are also present in the fully formed organism.

• There may be similarities in the structure of an embryo, but not in the adult form.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

A student is examining the skeleton of a modern-day horse, which appeared in the fossil record about 1 million years ago, and notices some similarities between the horse’s bone structure and the fossilized leg bone of Pliohippus, a four-legged mammal that lived about 100–500 million years ago but no longer lives today. Which of the following conclusions could the student draw about Pliohippus?

• Pliohippus likely mated with modern-day horses, and the offspring resembled modern-day horses more than Pliohippus.

• Pliohippus must have used its legs differently than modern-day horses do.

• There is no relationship between the modern-day horse and Pliohippus.

• Pliohippus is related to modern-day horses.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Whales and dolphins have bones in their flippers that appear similar to the bones that make up human hands and feet. Which statement is supported by this information?

• Their common ancestor was a land animal that had those bones.

• Those bones supported the body tissue of their common ancestors.

• Those bones enabled their common ancestors to move more easily in water.

• Their common ancestors inherited the bones by mating with other organisms

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Based on the image of forelimbs below, what evolutionary relationships can you infer?

• Humans, dogs, birds, and whales likely have a common ancestor, evidenced by the homologous bone structure of their limbs.

• Humans, dogs, birds, and whales likely evolved from different ancestors, since the function of their limbs is different

• Humans, dogs, birds, and whales likely do not have a common ancestor, since their forelimbs are analogous structures that have similar functions but different structures.

• Humans, dogs, birds, and whales likely evolved from one another in a linear pattern, as evidenced by the similarities in their limb structure.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2