The following question is based on the observation that several dozen different proteins comprise the prokaryotic flagellum and its attachment to the prokaryotic cell, producing a highly complex structure.
If the complex protein assemblage of the prokaryotic flagellum arose by the same general processes as those of the complex eyes of molluscs (such as squids and octopi), then ________.
A) natural selection cannot account for the rise of the prokaryotic flagellum
B) ancestral versions of this protein assemblage were either less functional or had different functions than modern prokaryotic flagella
C) neither eyes nor flagella could have arisen by evolution because both are too complex to have evolved
D) the need for more complex structure must have driven evolution

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The statement suggests that if the prokaryotic flagellum evolved by the same processes as the complex eyes of molluscs, then ancestral versions of the protein assemblage were either less functional or had different functions than modern prokaryotic flagella. This is in line with the concept of evolution through incremental changes and accumulation of small modifications over time.

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