Asked by nk

Use the scenario to answer the 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)
• It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.
• It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows causation.
• It is a transitional fossil that shows causation.
• It is not a transitional fossil, but it shows correlation.

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
It is a transitional fossil that shows correlation.

Reason: the fossil has mixed traits (land-animal body, whale-like head and ear bone), so it’s an intermediate form supporting an evolutionary link. That provides correlational evidence for ancestry, not direct proof of causation.