A scientist discovers a fossil of a new organism and places it in the fossil record. The fossil shows the organism had similar structures to organism X, which appears later in the fossil record. Which conclusion about the organisms is most reasonable?
A.
The fossils are from an organism that is an ancestor of organism X.
B.
The fossils came from the same organism.
C.
The fossils are from organisms that lived in the same location.
D.
The fossils are from an organism that is a descendant of organism X.
A.
The fossils are from an organism that is an ancestor of organism X.
The most reasonable conclusion based on the information provided is A. The fossils are from an organism that is an ancestor of organism X.
To determine the most reasonable conclusion about the organisms based on the information given, we need to analyze the relationships between the fossils and organism X. To do this, we can use the process of relative dating.
Relative dating involves comparing the positions of fossils in the fossil record to determine their relative ages. Higher-up fossils are generally younger, while lower-down fossils are generally older. Based on this, if the fossil of the new organism shows similar structures to organism X and appears later in the fossil record, it suggests a chronological relationship.
From the given options, the most reasonable conclusion would be:
A. The fossils are from an organism that is an ancestor of organism X.
This conclusion is reasonable because if the new organism's fossil shows similar structures to organism X and appears later in the fossil record, it suggests that the new organism existed before organism X and could be an ancestor.