Question

The data table shown below compares a small portion of the DNA for the same gene in three animals -a mouse, a whale, and a chicken. Use the data table to answer the question: Is a mouse more closely related to a baleen whale or a chicken? How do you know?A) A mouse is more closely related to a baleen whale because they are both gray.B) A mouse is more closely related to a chicken because they are both land animalsC) A mouse is more closely related to a chicken because they only share 8 nucleotide differences.D) A mouse is more closely related to a baleen whale because they only share 4 nucleotide differences.

Answer 1

When we compare the same gene on different organisms, those who have the least nucleotide differences are more related to each other.

Let's look at the table for the Hoxc8 gene.

We can see that the mouse and the blue whale have 4 differences in this gene, while the mouse and the chicken have 8 differences.

This means the right answer is D) A mouse is more closely related to a baleen whale because they only share 4 nucleotide differences.