Question

show what you know - cladogram application

1. which answer best completes this statement: a \common ancestor\ is...

a. one that is very commonly seen in the fossil record.
b. one that is shared by two or more organisms.
c. one that has no distinguishing features and is therefore very \common.\

1. read the following statements then answer the question below.

• statement a: all organisms inherit their features from their ancestors.
• statement b: organisms resemble their most recent ancestors more closely than distant ancestors.
• statement c: over time, change occurs and new features appear.

which of these statements are accurate?
a. a and c.
b. b and c.
c. all of the above.
d. none of the above.

Explanation:

Question 1

A "common ancestor" is an ancestor shared by two or more organisms. Option a is incorrect as common ancestors aren't defined by being commonly seen in fossils. Option c is incorrect as common ancestors can have distinguishing features. Option b correctly defines a common ancestor as one shared by multiple organisms.

• Statement A: Organisms inherit features from their ancestors (through genetics/evolution), so this is accurate.
• Statement B: Organisms resemble their most recent ancestors more closely (due to less time for evolutionary change) than distant ones, so this is accurate.
• Statement C: Over time, evolutionary change occurs, leading to new features, so this is accurate.

Since all three statements (A, B, C) are accurate, the correct option is c.

Answer:

b. one that is shared by two or more organisms.

Question 2