Common Ancestry

This cladogram shows the evolutionary relationships among some mammals based on homologous structures. Which statement is supported by this cladogram?

• Hippopotamuses are more closely related to cows than javelinas

• Toothed whales are more closely related to mouse deer than to hippopotamuses

• Javelinas and pigs are more closely related than baleen whales and toothed whales

• Cows and mouse deer are more closely related than javelinas and pigs

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Scientists can determine relatedness among organisms by comparing partial amino acid sequences. The table shows four partial amino acid sequences from four organisms. Which organism is the least related to the other three organisms?

• organism 1

• organism 2

• organism 3

• organism 4

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2

The image shows part of the humerus bone in different genera of primates. Which statement is best supported by the observable structures of the different humerus bones?

• the primates lived in similar environments

• the primates shared a common ancestor

• the primates interbreed with similar organisms in a population

• the primates had diets that consisted of similar types of foods

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Cetaceans are whales and their relatives. The diagram shows some fossils of cetaceans. Which statement provides the best evidence that Ambulocetus natans is an ancestor of Basilosaurus isis?

• Homologous structures occur in each fossil

• Similar nitrogenous bases are found in the DNA of each fossil

• The fossils were found in different locations

• The youngest fossil is larger than the older fossils

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NGSS.MS-LS4-1

NGSS.MS-LS4-2

Bactrian camels, dromedaries, llamas, and alpacas are all members of the same taxonomic family, Camelidae. Members of this family all have two toes, no hooves, true canine teeth, and a split upper lip. The family Camelidae originated in North America. The physical features of animals in this family and the family's geographical origin provide evidence that all these animals -

• live in the same type of ecosystem

• have slowly evolved to become herbivores

• have a common ancestor

• exchanged DNA at some point in the past

In 2010, scientists excavated a skull fossil that provides evidence of a newly discovered species of big cat. Based on the evidence, scientists hypothesize that big cats branched off from smaller wild cats about 6 million years ago. Which of these resources did the scientists most likely rely on to form their hypothesis?

• a food web showing feeding relationships of organisms where the fossil skull was found

• population and migration data for small wild cats living in the ecosystem where the skull was found

• the fossil record and DNA comparisons of big cats and small cats

• the historical record of interactions between different species of big cats

The opossum, which is native to North America, and the kangaroo, which is native to Australia, are marsupials. The fact that both these mammals incubate their immature offspring in a pouch provides evidence that they -

• belong to the same species

• must range great distances to eat

• have very similar skeletal structures

• are descended from a common ancestor

Genome maps provide the DNA sequences of chromosomes. Some scientists have compared the genome maps of a hedgehog and a sloth. What do these genome maps allow the scientists to determine?

• The color patterns of the offspring of each species

• How much the size ranges of the two species differ

• The methods of proteins synthesis that each species uses

• How closely related the two species are to each other

Zoogeographic regions are characterized by the presence of specific groups of animals. These regions are determined by the taxonomic or phylogenetic relationships of animals. The map shows the zoogeographic regions proposed by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1876. The similarities of organisms in which two areas numbered above provide the best evidence for common ancestry between the organisms in both locations?

• 1 and 2

• 3 and 4

• 5 and 6

• 7 and 8

The limbs of several organisms are shown in the illustrations below. Scientists sometimes compare the limbs of these organisms to look for evidence of common ancestry. These limbs provide evidence of common ancestry because they -

• have the same basic structure

• perform the same function

• are the same size

• are parts of mammals

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NGSS.MS-LS4-2