Scientists examine fossils from three different animals. They determine that all three animals share similar structures and record their observations as follows:

Question

Animal A and animal B have somewhat similar structures.
Animal A and animal C have very similar structures.
Animal B and animal C have very similar structures.
The scientists use the similarities to determine the order in which the fossils should appear in the fossil record. Based on the scientists’ observations, which order is the most reasonable?

(1 point)
Responses

A, C, B
A, C, B

B, A, C
B, A, C

C, B, A
C, B, A

A, B, C

Answer 1

Based on the scientists' observations, Animal A and Animal C have very similar structures, and Animal A and Animal B have somewhat similar structures. Additionally, Animal B and Animal C have very similar structures. This suggests that Animal A is the most closely related to Animal C, indicating that they might share a more recent common ancestor.

Given that Animal A is more closely related to C, it makes sense for Animal A to appear earlier in the fossil record.

The most reasonable order based on this reasoning would be:

A, C, B

Therefore, the correct response is: A, C, B.