Asked by Alto saxaphone

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 not a transitional fossil, but it shows correlation.

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.

All Answers 1

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

Explanation: The fossil has intermediate features (land-animal body with whale-like skull/ear bone), indicating a transitional form linking land mammals and whales. It demonstrates a correlation in traits over evolutionary time, not direct causation.