Question

A valid criticism of the idea that anthropoids evolved independently in Africa and South America is that

a. organisms cannot evolve into similar forms independently.
b. Africa's fossil record dates back only 6 million years, so it is impossible to trace independent evolution of primates in these two areas.
c. there are striking similarities between Old and New World primates not only in phenotype but also in genotype.
d. None of these is correct.

Answer 1

A valid criticism of independent anthropoid evolution in Africa and South America is the striking similarities in phenotype and genotype between primates from both regions, suggesting they did not evolve independently.

Step-by-step explanation:

A valid criticism of the idea that anthropoids evolved independently in Africa and South America is that c. there are striking similarities between Old World and New World primates not only in phenotype but also in genotype. This suggests that the similarities are too great to have evolved independently after the continents of South America and Africa had drifted apart. It's thought that monkeys arose in the Old World and reached the New World either by drifting on log rafts or by crossing land bridges, leading to separate adaptive radiations due to reproductive isolation. The arboreal habits of New World monkeys evolved over time, including the development of prehensile tails, a feature not found in Old World monkeys.

Furthermore, the fossil evidence does not support the notion that the primate fossil record only goes back 6 million years. Anthropoids and early primates date back much further. The fossil record itself suggests a complex picture of primate evolution, including the evolution of humans from a common ancestor with the great apes, as shown in DNA comparisons and the hominin fossil record.