Why is agreement between the fossil record and phylogenies constructed from living organisms considered to be strong evidence of evolution?
A)It is unlikely that two independent methods of investigation would result in the same pattern by chance alone.
B)All living organisms will eventually become fossils; therefore, evidence of their evolution will be recorded in the fossil record.
C)Phylogenetic methods based on DNA sequences can suggest that two species are closely related, but only fossils can show direct evidence of an evolutionary relationship between species.
D)Evolutionary processes cannot be studied directly in the laboratory alone, so it is necessary to compare living and extinct species to see evidence of evolutionary change.
E)All of these choices are correct.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The agreement between the fossil record and phylogenies constructed from living organisms is considered strong evidence of evolution because it is unlikely that two independent methods of investigation would result in the same pattern by chance alone. This suggests that the similarities observed between living and extinct organisms are due to a common ancestry rather than random chance.

Why Is Agreement Between the Fossil Record and Phylogenies Constructed