Listed below are characteristics that serve as evidence of shared ancestry between fish and reptiles. Select the option that applies only to embryos rather than adults.(1 point)

Responses

gill slits that turn into gills

scales as a form of skin

hatch from and lay eggs

spines and tails

gill slits that turn into gills

The characteristic that applies only to embryos rather than adults is:

- Gill slits that turn into gills.

The option that applies only to embryos rather than adults is "gill slits that turn into gills." To determine this, we first need to understand the characteristics of fish and reptiles and then compare them.

Fish have gills throughout their entire lives, allowing them to extract oxygen from water. Reptiles, on the other hand, do not have gills as adults but instead have lungs for breathing air. However, during their embryonic development, reptiles do develop gill slits, similar to fish.

So, out of the given options, the characteristic of "gill slits that turn into gills" is specific to the embryonic stage and applies only to fish and reptiles as embryos.