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

Question

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?

Answer 1

The most reasonable order based on the scientists' observations would be:

1. Animal C
2. Animal B
3. Animal A

This is because Animal C is very similar to both Animal A and Animal B, suggesting that it is the oldest ancestor from which both Animal A and Animal B evolved. Animal B and Animal A have some similarities but not as strong as the similarities between Animal C and the other two animals.