Final answer:
The most supportive statement of the endosymbiotic theory is that some eukaryotic genes resemble those of Archaea and Bacteria, providing evidence of a historical fusion event between these two domains. This genetic evidence aligns with the characteristics of mitochondria suggested by the theory.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that best supports the endosymbiotic theory of the evolutionary origin of mitochondria is d. Some eukaryotic genes resemble those of Archaea, while some resemble those of Bacteria and some are unlike the genes of either domain.
The endosymbiotic theory, proposed by Lynn Margulis, suggests that eukaryotic cells are a product of one cell engulfing another and evolving over time to share genetic control and produce ATP. This theory is supported by evidence such as similarities between mitochondrial DNA and bacterial DNA, as well as the binary fission of mitochondria resembling that of bacteria. The theory also explains why mitochondria have two membranes: the outer one being eukaryotic from the host's vacuole, and the inner one being bacterial from the engulfed cell. James Lake's hypothesis that eukaryotic cells evolved from a gene fusion between Archaea and Bacteria further supports this, as the genetic makeup of eukaryotes contains features of both domains, with unique genes not found in either.