An anthropologist discovers the fossilised heart of an extinct animal. The evidence indicates that the organism's heart was large, was well-formed, and had four chambers, with no connection between the right and left sides. A reasonable conclusion supported by these observations is that the ________.
A) animal had evolved from birds
B) animal was endothermic and had a high metabolic rate
C) animal was most closely related to alligators and crocodiles
D) species had little to no need to regulate blood pressure

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The presence of a well-formed heart with four chambers and no connection between the right and left sides suggests that the animal was endothermic (warm-blooded) and had a high metabolic rate. This is because a four-chambered heart is essential for maintaining a high level of activity and metabolism over an extended period, which is a characteristic of endothermic animals.

An Anthropologist Discovers the Fossilised Heart of an Extinct Animal