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Multiple Choice
Which of the following is an example of convergent evolution?
A
Human embryos and fish embryos both have pharyngeal pouches.
B
Cats and bats have similar skeletal configurations in their forelimbs.
C
Both gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants) and angiosperms (flowering plants) produce seeds.
D
Blind cave fish possess remnants of eye structures under their scales.
E
Dolphins and sharks have a similar streamlined body shape.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Convergent evolution occurs when unrelated species develop similar traits due to similar environmental pressures, rather than shared ancestry.
Identify the examples given and determine if they involve species that are not closely related but have developed similar traits.
Consider the example of dolphins and sharks: both have evolved a streamlined body shape to efficiently move through water, despite being from different evolutionary lineages (mammals vs. fish).
Compare this to other examples: human and fish embryos, cats and bats, gymnosperms and angiosperms, and blind cave fish. These examples involve either shared ancestry or different evolutionary processes.
Conclude that the streamlined body shape of dolphins and sharks is a result of convergent evolution, as it is a similar trait developed independently in response to similar environmental challenges.