A paleontologist finds a fragment of a fossilized vertebrate that indicates that the animal had a four-chambered heart with two atria and two ventricles; it also had two aortas, one emerging from each ventricle.The animal could have been a(n)
A) fish.
B) amphibian.
C) crocodile.
D) bird.
E) mammal.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Crocodiles are unique among living reptiles because they have a four-chambered heart with two atria and two ventricles, similar to birds and mammals. Additionally, they have a feature where two aortas emerge from the heart, one from each ventricle, which is not found in the typical cardiac anatomy of birds, mammals, amphibians, or most fish.

A Paleontologist Finds a Fragment of a Fossilized Vertebrate That