Question

Imagine you discovered the fossil shown reconstructed to the left, Rodhocetus kasrani. The area where the fossil was found was coastal with large, shallow seas at the time the fossil was dated to. Rodhocetus kasranihad short limbs,long finger bones, a streamlined body, an unfused sacrum, and a long tail(these are all also features of modern whales). It was likely semi-aquatic, spending a lot of time in water, but its limbs could also support itself on land.

2) Rodhocetus kasraniis a transitional fossil between ancestral land artiodactyls (a group of hooved mammals)andmodern whales. Give one example of a homologous trait shared by land artiodactyls and R. kasrani,and one example of a homologous trait shared by modern whales and R. kasrani (label which is which clearly). Define homology and explain how recogonizing homolgies such as these help us to understand the history of life. (10 points)

Answer 1

Homology is the shared ancestry between organ or structure in different species. Homology explain the ancestral background of an organism and the ancester from the organism evolved. Homology was explained by Charles Darwin in 1869 and applied to biology by Richard Owen.

Rodhocetus kesraniis is transitional fossil between artio dactyla and modern whale

It was having whale ear bone and whale teeth which are homologous trait in betwwem them and it was also having foots and finger with webbed toe like artiodactyls.