Question

If many human genes differ in about 10% of their bases from another species' same genes and substitutions occur at an estimated rate of 2% per one million years then:

Select one:


a. About 3 million years have passed since the two species diverged

b. About 5 million years have passed since the two species diverged

c. About 10 million years have passed since the two species diverged

d. About 20 million years have passed since the two species diverged

e. None of the above are correct

Answer 1

The correct answer is (b) About 5 million years have passed since the two species diverged, calculated by dividing the difference in gene bases by the substitution rate.

Step-by-step explanation:

If human genes differ by about 10% from those of another species and substitutions occur at an estimated rate of 2% per one million years, then we can calculate the time since the two species diverged by dividing the percentage difference by the annual substitution rate.

The calculation is 10% / 2% per million years = 5 million years. Therefore, the correct answer is b. About 5 million years have passed since the two species diverged.