Question

read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow. birds have many adaptations, such as hollow bones and feathers, that allow them to fly. modern birds have two main types of feathers - down and contour. down feathers are soft and fluffy. they are found under the outer contour feathers. contour feathers are the outer feathers covering most of a birds surface. contour feathers contain a strong central shaft from which a series of branches, called barbs, extend. the barbs interlock to form a strong, lightweight network that makes the feathers stiff. stiff feathers are necessary for flight. figure 1 shows a down feather and a contour feather. figure 1. feather types evidence from the fossil record shows that most early dinosaurs were covered with scales. over time, some dinosaurs, such as two - legged theropods, developed feathers. these feathers were soft and fluffy rather than long and stiff. evidence also indicates that the same genes that control the development of feathers in birds are active in the scales of reptiles. placodes are small, circular areas of cells in the skin. changes in placodes over time allowed for the development of different structures. the presence or absence of placodes determines whether an organism develops feathers or scales. which evidence best supports the claim that birds evolved from dinosaurs? a. theropods and birds have similar structures with similar functions. b. the same sequences are found in the genetic information of theropods and birds. c. placodes are found in the embryos of both theropods and birds. d. theropods and birds both have genetic sequences that code for proteins

Explanation:

To support the claim that birds evolved from dinosaurs, evidence related to shared genetic or structural characteristics is key. Similar genetic sequences that code for proteins in both theropods (a group of dinosaurs) and birds indicate a close evolutionary relationship. This shows a common - ancestor origin. Other options are either less relevant (like placodes found in embryos in general terms) or not as strong in demonstrating an evolutionary link (such as the presence/absence of placodes determining features/scales).

Answer:

D. Theropods and birds both have genetic sequences that code for proteins.