Common Ancestry Review

Which animal is most distantly related to the bird?

• shark

• rabbit

• primate

• crocodile

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Fins in fish are homologous to ________ in tetrapods.

• ears

• lungs

• vertebra

• limbs

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Why is the theory of evolution considered strong evidence for the concept of common ancestry?

• It proves that species adapt instantly to their environments.

• It demonstrates that all species share identical genetic sequences.

• It suggests that all species are created separately.

• It explains how species change over time through natural selection.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

In a cladogram, such as the example, what do the branching points represent?

• the time at which a species went extinct

• the current geographic distribution of species

• common ancestors shared by the species

• the ecological niches of different species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Consider two different animal species. In their embryonic development, both species exhibit vestigial leg structures that are no longer functional in the adult stage. What does this similarity suggest about the evolutionary relationship between the two species?

• They belong to two completely different groups of organisms.

• They are part of completely different evolutionary lineages.

• They evolved independently from each other.

• They share a common ancestor with functional legs.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

In the context of evolution, what is the significance of homologous structures among different species?

• They provide evidence for common ancestry and show that species share a common evolutionary history.

• They prove that species with similar structures are completely unrelated to one another.

• 
  They indicate that species were independently developed from one another over a short period of time.

• 
  They suggest that species from different continents have nothing in common with one another.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

organism in the past from which today's organisms developed

• ancestor

• analogous structure

• cladogram

• species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

a branching diagram showing the relationship between different species

• ancestor

• analogous structure

• cladogram

• species

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-3

Which of the following structures in humans is considered a vestigial structure, providing evidence for common ancestry?

• Appendix

• Heart

• Liver

• Kidney

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

What does the presence of homologous structures in different species indicate?

• Independent evolution

• Common ancestry

• Random mutation

• Artificial selection

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-2