Evidence For Evolution! Trivia Facts Quiz

Species that are closely related tend to have similar stages of embryonic development because they share a common ancestor. The closer the relationship between species, the more similar their embryonic development will be. This is due to the conservation of developmental processes and genetic mechanisms that are inherited from their common ancestor. Therefore, it is true that species closely related will show similar stages of embryonic development.

A vestigial structure is a structure that has lost its original function over time. In the context of the question, the highlighted structure on the whale is no longer serving any purpose for the whale. This suggests that it is a vestigial structure. Vestigial structures are remnants of organs or structures that were functional in the organism's ancestors but are no longer necessary or useful in its current form.

The picture of the ancient whale Basilosaurus supports the statement that whales descended from an ancestor that used hind limbs to walk and swim because the picture shows Basilosaurus with well-developed hind limbs. This indicates that Basilosaurus's ancestor had hind limbs and used them for locomotion, suggesting a transitional stage between walking and swimming in whale evolution.

The explanation for the given correct answer is that humans would be more closely related to mice. This is because the number of different amino acid chains in a chicken is 45, while in a mouse it is only 25. According to the principle of evolution, organisms with a higher number of shared traits or genetic similarities are considered more closely related. Since humans share fewer amino acid chains with chickens compared to mice, it indicates a closer evolutionary relationship between humans and mice.

This answer explains that the diagram can best be explained by the process of natural selection leading to the development of new species of marsupials over time. It suggests that the common ancestor of these marsupials inhabited different locations, and as a result of natural selection, new species evolved in those locations. This explanation aligns with the information given in the passage and provides a logical interpretation of the diagram.

The correct answer suggests that as the whale evolved and adapted to living in water, the function of the highlighted structure was minimized. This implies that the structure was once important for the ancestors of whales, but as they transitioned to an aquatic lifestyle, it became less necessary. This is a common phenomenon in evolution, where structures or traits that are no longer useful gradually diminish or disappear over time.

The answer is supported by the information given in the diagram, which states that similar bone structures between creatures support Darwin's idea of evolution from a common ancestor. This implies that as species evolve, modifications will develop, leading to similar bone structures in different creatures.

Homologous structures are anatomical structures that have a similar evolutionary origin but may have different functions in different species. These structures may have similar underlying structures and patterns, but they have adapted to perform different functions based on the needs of each species. Therefore, the statement that homologous structures have the same function in different species is false.

According to the theory of evolution, species that are more closely related will share more similarities in embryonic development. Therefore, the statement that the arctic fox and the Cape Fox will show more similarities in embryonic development than the cape fox and the raccoon dog is accurate. This is because the arctic fox and the Cape Fox belong to the same genus (Vulpes) and are more closely related than the cape fox and the raccoon dog, which belong to different genera.

The given data suggests that the fox and dog species in this region have diversified over the last 10 million years. This conclusion is supported by the statement that "all species have evolved in this area over the last 10 million years" and implies that natural selection has played a role in this diversification. The statement also implies that evolution is not happening at a constant rate, as it specifically mentions the diversification of the fox and dog species in this region.