Comparing the body form of different groups to reconstruct evolutionary history is ____.
A)comparative morphology
B)comparative physiology
C)homology
D)morphological divergence
E)adaptive radiation

Question

Comparing the body form of different groups to reconstruct evolutionary history is ____. ​
A)comparative morphology
B)comparative physiology
C)homology
D)morphological divergence
E)adaptive radiation

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Comparative morphology involves comparing the physical characteristics of different species to construct their evolutionary history, which is what is being described in the prompt. Comparative physiology is the study of the functions of different organisms, which is not directly related to reconstructing evolutionary history. Homology refers to similarities in structure or genetic material between different species as a result of common ancestry, which is related to comparative morphology but is not the same thing. Morphological divergence refers to the evolution of different body forms in a population over time, which is related to but not synonymous with comparative morphology. Adaptive radiation refers to the rapid evolution of multiple species from a single ancestral species, which is a specific example of evolutionary history but not the method used to reconstruct it.

Comparing the Body Form of Different Groups to Reconstruct Evolutionary