Question

The picture shows the skull of an extinct aquatic animal and the skull of a present-day gray whale. Further testing of the skulls suggests that the extinct animal is an ancestor of the gray whale.

How do these skulls best support Darwin’s theory of evolution?

by showing that all populations can adapt and survive
by showing that only some organisms have common ancestors
by showing that populations change slowly over time
by showing that species can rapidly become extinct

Answer 1

by showing that populations change slowly over time

Explanation: The fossil skull and the modern whale skull show morphological similarities indicating descent with modification. This supports Darwin’s idea that species change over time (gradually) and share common ancestors.