Scientists notice structural similarities between fossils of a land animal and an aquatic organism. They know the similarities are not a result of the two organisms having to adapt to similar environments. What can they attribute the structural similarities to?
A.convergent evolution
B.common ancestry
C.transitional evolution
D.similar mating habits
Answers
The answer of the given question is common ancestry.
As it is mentioned that certain organisms do not evolve in the similar environments, it is not a convergent evolution.
In case of convergent evolution, the organisms receive similar structures as they must adapt the similar conditions of environment.
In case of divergent evolution, organisms evolved from the common ancestor and retain its structures.
Common ancestry is the answer.
Common descent is a term within evolutionary biology which refers to the common ancestry of a particular group of organisms. The process of common decent involves the formation of new species from an ancestral population. When a recent common ancestor is shared between two organisms, they are said to be closely related. In contrast, common descent can also be traced back to a universal common ancestor of all living organisms using molecular genetic methods. Such evolution from a universal common ancestor is thought to have involved several speciation events as a result of natural selection and other processes, such as geographical separation