Question

Which of the following statements provides the best scientific evidence that chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys come from a common ancestor?

A. They live in similar habitats.
B. They exhibit similar behaviors.
C. They have similar nutritional needs.
D. They have similar genetic sequences.

Answer 1

The statement that they have similar genetic sequences is the strongest evidence that chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys come from a common ancestor, as it shows a very close genetic relationship indicative of a recent divergence from a shared lineage.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that provides the best scientific evidence that chimpanzees and rhesus monkeys come from a common ancestor is:

D. They have similar genetic sequences.

Genetic evidence is the most compelling when it comes to determining evolutionary relationships between species. In fact, the protein sequence of cytochrome c from chimpanzees and humans is identical, and the one from rhesus monkeys differs by just one amino acid. This indicates that there is a strong genetic link between these species. The homology of DNA sequences is considered a stronger indicator of common ancestry than similar habitat, behavior, or nutritional needs. Modern technology allows scientists to compare genes directly and it has been found that humans and chimpanzees share about 98% of their genes, suggesting a recent common ancestor in evolutionary terms.

Answer 2

only the last one provides an actual evidence of having a common ancestor. The rest can be a result of living in a similar environments that makes life easier. For example, many species live next to water, as water provides more fertile ground for plants, and they might have similar behaviors (searching for water) but they might not be closely related.

so the correct answer is D.