Use the scenario to answer the question.

Question

A fossil indicates that whales might have started out as small land mammals. This animal was about the size of a wolf and had a diet of meat and fish. While the fossil has the body of a land animal, its head is shaped like a whale with an ear bone that is unique to whales.

Which statement is likely true about the fossil?

(1 point)
Responses

It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows correlation.
It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows correlation.

It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.
It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.

It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows causation.
It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows causation.

It is a transitional fossil that shows causation.

Answer 1

The most accurate statement about the fossil would be:

It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.

This is because the fossil displays characteristics of both land mammals and whales, indicating that it represents a stage in the evolutionary transition from land-dwelling mammals to marine whales. It demonstrates how some features (like the ear bone) are shared between these groups, showing a correlation between the two. The term "transitional fossil" refers to fossils that exhibit traits from different evolutionary stages.