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

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, B, C
A, B, C

A, C, B
A, C, B

B, A, C
B, A, C

C, B, A

1 answer

Based on the scientists' observations that Animal A and Animal C have very similar structures, and Animal B also has very similar structures compared to Animal C, a reasonable order in the fossil record would indicate that A and C are more closely related. The most logical order would be:

C, B, A

This suggests that C appeared first, then B, and finally A, considering the relatedness observed. However, since the given options don't list C, B, A, let's analyze the alternatives:

  • A, B, C: This suggests A came first, followed by more distantly related B and C.
  • A, C, B: This suggests A appeared first, followed by closely related C, and then B.
  • B, A, C: This suggests B appeared first, then A, and C last.

Given the structures, the closest relationships suggest C to be one of the earlier forms, possibly indicating that A and C are more closely related than B, affirming that C might be the earliest.

Therefore, without the option C, B, A available, the best reasoning would support:

A, C, B as the nearest deduction based on similarities.