Question

The scientific theory of evolution is supported by several lines of evidence, including comparative anatomy. How does the anatomy of the three mammals support the theory of evolution?


Each organism had different sizes and lengths of forelimb bones because of random mutations passed from their parents.


Each organism had the same basic forelimb bone structure because they have kept the traits of their shared common ancestors.


Each organism originally had forelimb bone structures that were different, but as they used the forelimbs for similar purposes, their bone structures began to look similar.


Each organism was born with forelimb bone structures that were similar in appearance, but as they used their forelimbs for different purposes, their bone structures changed throughout their lifetimes.

Answer 1

The correct interpretation that supports the theory of evolution in relation to the anatomy of three mammals is:

**Each organism had the same basic forelimb bone structure because they have kept the traits of their shared common ancestors.**

This statement aligns with the concept of homologous structures, which are anatomical features that are similar in different species because they were inherited from a common ancestor. This similarity in structure, despite differences in function or size, provides evidence for evolutionary relationships among species. As these species evolved and adapted to their environments, the forelimb bones may have changed in size and shape, but the underlying structural similarity is indicative of their common ancestry.