Imagine that you are an explorer who has discovered an isolated land mass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. You find a predator that resembles a North American wolf except that it lays eggs. You name it the "mid-ocean wolf." The physical similarity between the mid-ocean wolf and the North American wolf is most likely due to which of the following factors?
A) similarities in prey species
B) natural selection that favors the evolution of homologous structures
C) inheritance of the characteristics from a recent common ancestor
D) natural selection that favors similar traits for organisms with similar ecological roles

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The physical similarity between the mid-ocean wolf and the North American wolf, despite their significant geographical separation and reproductive differences (one lays eggs), is most likely due to convergent evolution. This is a process where unrelated species evolve similar traits independently, often because they fill similar ecological niches or roles. This is not about sharing a recent common ancestor (which would suggest homologous structures) or about the similarities in prey species directly influencing their physical form in such a specific way.

Imagine That You Are an Explorer Who Has Discovered an Isolated