Evidence of evolution

Many whales have tiny, unused hip and pelvis bones on their torsos. How does this evidence support theories about animal evolution?

• It shows that marine animals, like whales, evolved much more slowly than land-dwelling animals

• It shows that whales may have evolved from land-dwelling animals

• It shows that whales evolved at the same time as other non-marine animals

• It shows that many animals, including whales, evolved to have unused body parts

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The figure below shows the skeletal structure of a seal's flipper and a monkey's arm. The skeletal structures of the flipper and the arm are similar, even though they have different functions. Seals use their flippers for swimming, while monkeys use their arms primarily for grasping and lifting. Which of these explains why the skeletal structures of the seal's flipper and the monkey's arm are similar?

• All of the same vitamins are used for bone formation in seals and monkeys

• All of the same genetic mutations occurred in seals and monkeys

• Seals and monkeys have identical DNA sequences

• Seals and monkeys have a common ancestor

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Many species of animals use hemoglobin to transport oxygen from their lungs to their cells, but they have some differences in their hemoglobin molecules. The hemoglobin molecule in humans is very similar to the hemoglobin in gorillas, and very different from the hemoglobin in mice. Which inference is best supported by these observations?

• Humans and gorillas have similar hemoglobin because they are adapted to eat similar foods

• Gorillas are closely related to mice, but humans are not

• Humans and gorillas are closely related to each other but not to mice

• Large animals need a specific kind of hemoglobin to transport oxygen throughout their large bodies

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Scientists have observed that the embryos of different animal species such as those shown below share common characteristics at certain points during development. Which statement does this observation support?

• These embryos will maintain similar characteristics as adults

• Similar diets result in similar embryological characteristics

• Similar environments result in similar embryological characteristics

• These species share a common ancestor

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What is this an example of?

• Vestigial structures

• Homologous structures

• Analogous structures

• Common ancestor

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What conclusions can be made based on this table shown?

• the giant panda and the racoon are most closely related

• the giant panda and the red panda are most closely related

• the red panda and the racoon are the most closely related

• the American black bear and the giant panda are most closely related

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Match the following

• Same structure different function

• Biochemical Evidence

• Structures in the body of an organism that no longer work.

• Comparative Embryology

• Comparing DNA and amino acid sequences of different species

• Analogous Structure

• Same function different structure

• Homologous Structure

• Comparing embryological development of different species

• Vestigial Structures