Question

The bones of forelimbs of whale, bat, cheetah and man are similar in structure, because ______.

Options

• one organism has given rise to another

• they share a common ancestor

• they perform the same function

• the have biochemical similarities

• they have cytological similarities

Answer 1

The bones of forelimbs of whale, bat, cheetah and man are similar in structure, because they share a common ancestor.

Explanation:

The bones of the forelimbs of whale, bat, cheetah, and man are similar in structure because they are homologous organs. These organs have a similar embryonic origin and show the same basic skeletal pattern (pentadactyl limb structure) despite performing different functions. This similarity indicates that these species share a common ancestor and their forelimbs have diverged over time to adapt to different environments and functions, a phenomenon known as divergent evolution.