Fossil anklebones from the ancestors of whales and the anklebones of hippopotamuses have the same shape,which is an adaptation for running on land.This suggests that _____________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The similar anklebone shape between the ancestors of whales and modern-day hippopotamuses is evidence of a common ancestor that was adapted for running on land. This supports the theory of evolution and suggests that these two species diverged from their common ancestor over time. Convergent evolution would suggest that the two species evolved the same adaptation independently and do not share a common ancestor. The location and depth of fossil finds are not relevant to this question, and the suggestion that whales evolved from aquatic dinosaurs and hippos from terrestrial dinosaurs is incorrect.

Fossil Anklebones from the Ancestors of Whales and the Anklebones