[Campbell Biology P.530] Based on the provided text, which of the following best exemplifies... | Practice Question

Based on the provided text, which of the following best exemplifies convergent evolution and analogous structures?

  • A: The gliding ability of the sugar glider and the flying squirrel.
  • B: The reduction in size of the pelvic bone in fossil stickleback fish.
  • C: The shared ancestry of cetaceans and even-toed ungulates.
  • D: The similar embryonic development patterns in marsupials and eutherians.

Explanation

The text explicitly states that the sugar glider an Australian marsupial and the flying squirrel a North American eutherian are an example of convergent evolution, adapting to similar environments in similar ways gliding ability despite independent ancestry. This results in analogous structures.