Pythons have small leg bones buried in their tail muscles. What can scientists conclude from this observation?
a
Future generations of pythons will have legs.
b
The leg bones help pythons move.
c
Pythons descended from an animal with legs.
d
The leg bones will not be passed down to future generations.
The conclusion that scientists can draw from this observation is that option c, pythons descended from an animal with legs. The presence of vestigial leg bones in pythons suggests that their ancestors had legs that over time became reduced and eventually disappeared as the python's body adapted to its environment and lifestyle without the need for limbs.
c. Pythons descended from an animal with legs.
C. Pythons descended from an animal with legs.
To arrive at this conclusion, scientists can use comparative anatomy and evolutionary studies. By comparing the structure and characteristics of pythons' leg bones with those of other related reptiles and animals, scientists can infer that pythons evolved from ancestors that had fully developed legs. Over time, through the process of evolution, pythons adapted to their environment and their legs became reduced in size and buried within their tail muscles. Therefore, the observation of small leg bones in pythons suggests that they descended from an animal with legs, indicating an evolutionary history of legged ancestors.