A scientist discovers a fossil of an animal and places it in the fossil record. The organism's bones are similar to the bones of animal T. Which appears earlier in the fossil record? Which conclusion is most reasonable?
The organism that is similar to animal T would most likely appear later in the fossil record, as the animal T's bones are already present in the fossil record, indicating that it existed before the newly discovered organism.
The most reasonable conclusion would be that the newly discovered organism is a descendant or related species of animal T, evolving from it at a later point in time. This is supported by the similarity in their bone structures and the fact that the newly discovered organism appears later in the fossil record.