xamine the image below of Ambulocetus.

Question

Researchers often compare the bone structure of modern species with those in the fossil record. The species shown above (Ambulocetus) lived approximately 49 million years ago and is related to the modern whale. Which of the following is a logical conclusion about the relationship between Ambulocetus and the modern whale?
Ambulocetus provides evidence that the modern whale could navigate on land because whales breathe oxygen like other mammals.
Modern whales evolved from a common ancestor that had the ability to move both on land and in the water.
Early fossil evidence, including that of Ambulocetus, suggests the modern whale’s tail was a result of a dramatic mutation, rather than environmental changes.
Ambulocetus and other early ancestors of the modern whale suggests environmental changes forced the species onto land, which led to mutated changes in their appearance; however, these early ancestors eventually returned to the oceans and evolved into modern whales.

Answer 1

The most logical conclusion about the relationship between Ambulocetus and the modern whale is:

Modern whales evolved from a common ancestor that had the ability to move both on land and in the water.

This conclusion is supported by the fact that Ambulocetus exhibits features that indicate it was capable of navigating both terrestrial and aquatic environments, highlighting its role as a transitional species in the evolution of modern whales. The other options either misrepresent the evolutionary process or contain inaccuracies regarding the changes that led to modern whales.