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The order Sirenia comprises manatees and these other gentle aquatic giants

A) Dolphins
B) Whales
C) Seals
D) Dugongs

User Nyarasha
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Final answer:

The order Sirenia comprises gentle aquatic mammals such as manatees and dugongs, not dolphins, whales, or seals. These mammals are adapted to life in the water with body shapes suited for aquatic environments, an example of convergent evolution.

Step-by-step explanation:

The order Sirenia includes gentle aquatic giants such as manatees and their closest relatives, the dugongs. Sirenians are unique aquatic mammals known for their slow-moving, peaceful behavior. They share their order with the dugongs but not with dolphins, whales, or seals, which belong to different orders. Despite the physical similarities in their body shapes due to adaptations to aquatic life, the evolutionary paths of these animals are quite distinct. For instance, both dolphins and fish share streamlined bodies, but this is a case of convergent evolution where similar environmental pressures lead to analogous structures; dolphins, however, are mammals and have a different evolutionary history compared to fish.

User Mcont
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