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1 vote
Referring to the tree below, which is an accurate statement about relationships?

1) a gorilla is more closely related to a human than it is to an orangutan
2) gorilla is more closely related to an orangutan than a human
3) a gorilla is equally related to a human and an orangutan
4) an orangutan is related to chimps and orangutans but not humans

User Pixelstix
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1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

a gorilla is more closely related to an orangutan than a human, as gorillas and orangutans share a more recent common ancestor compared to the one shared with humans.

Step-by-step explanation:

The most accurate statement about the relationships among gorillas, humans, and orangutans based on the provided information is that a gorilla is more closely related to an orangutan than it is to a human. Given the evidence from DNA and amino acid sequence similarities, it is understood that gorillas and orangutans have a more recent common ancestor compared to the ancestors they share with humans. Additionally, the biological family Hominidae includes four living genera: chimpanzees, gorillas, humans, and orangutans; and although all these species share a large portion of their DNA, studies have shown that chimpanzees are most closely related to humans.

Thus, the student's question is option 2: a gorilla is more closely related to an orangutan than a human. This is supported by genetic information showing high similarities in DNA among these species, with humans sharing more than 97% of their DNA with both chimpanzees and gorillas but with chimps being the closest relatives.

User Miguel Morales
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