Question

dr. digger, a paleontologist, finds a fossil that he describes in his journal. the creature was approximately 1 meter long, with its backbone fused into a large shell covering the body cavity. it had a beaklike mouth, without teeth, and all four limbs were in the form of flippers. based on anatomical similarities, to which modern animal is dr. diggers creature most closely related? snake bony fish sea turtle zebra

Explanation:

To determine the related modern animal, we analyze the fossil's features: backbone fused into a shell, beak - like mouth without teeth, and flipper - like limbs.

• A snake has no shell and no flippers, so it's not related.
• Bony fish have no backbone fused into a shell and different limb structures (fins, not flippers), so it's not related.
• A sea turtle has a backbone (vertebrae) fused into a shell (carapace), a beak - like mouth without teeth, and flipper - like limbs, matching the fossil's features.
• A zebra is a terrestrial mammal with legs, not flippers, and no shell, so it's not related.

Answer:

sea turtle