Final answer:
The assertion that each cone snail species independently evolved all their conotoxin gene copies is false. Gene duplication and evolution are influenced by shared ancestry alongside independent evolutionary processes. The correct option is 2.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement, 'Different cone snail species each independently evolved all of their conotoxin gene copies' is False. Cone snails belong to a group of carnivorous marine snails that have developed a sophisticated hunting tool in the form of venom. These venoms, called conotoxins, are peptide toxins that play a critical role in prey capture and defense. These toxins are encoded by conotoxin genes.
Conotoxin genes are subjected to a process called gene duplication, where copies of genes are made within the organism's genome. Following duplication, these gene copies can evolve new functions or specialized roles through a process known as divergent evolution. However, it is not accurate to say that each species evolved all their conotoxin gene copies independently because gene duplication and subsequent evolution are processes influenced by shared ancestry, natural selection, and other evolutionary mechanisms that can affect multiple species.
Gene duplication events can lead to the same gene being present in different species due to their shared common ancestry. As a result, not all conotoxin gene copies are independently evolved in each cone snail species. Multiple species can possess similar gene copies that have diverged over time. Thus, while some evolution of conotoxin genes may occur independently within each species, the overarching process includes both shared evolutionary histories and independent evolution.