Evolutionary relationships between organisms are determined by
A) molecular evidence and anatomical homologies.
B) molecular evidence, anatomical homologies, and fossil records.
C) molecular evidence, anatomical analogies, and fossil records.
D) molecular evidence and fossil records.
E) molecular evidence, anatomical homologies, anatomical analogies, and fossil records. Anatomical analogies are not useful in determining evolutionary relationships because they are the result of convergent evolution. In convergent evolution, distantly related organisms may develop similar adaptations to the same environment, but this does not imply an evolutionary relationship between the two organisms.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Molecular evidence, anatomical homologies, and fossil records are the three main sources of evidence used to determine evolutionary relationships between organisms. Molecular evidence involves comparing DNA and protein sequences to determine how closely related two organisms are. Anatomical homologies involve comparing the physical structures of organisms to look for similarities that suggest a common ancestor. Fossil records are used to trace the history of organisms over time and identify when different groups of organisms diverged from one another. Together, these three sources of evidence allow scientists to build a detailed picture of how different species are related to one another through evolutionary history.

Evolutionary Relationships Between Organisms Are Determined by