Question

From the outside, a whale’s flippers appear to be flat, solid objects. However, when scientists observed the bones within whale flippers they found bones like the ones shown in the diagram.
Observing the bones made scientists ask more questions about whale flippers. Scientists then used the theory of evolution to understand how whales are related to land mammals. They surmised that over millions of years, the land mammals slowly adapted to living near the sea and then living in the sea, where solid flippers are more useful than fingers.

What part of the scientific cycle was used to understand why whales have finger bones?

A.) experiments
B.)observation
C.)explanation
D.)facts

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer will be option B-observation.

Explanation:

A scientific question and hypothesis can have answers based on the observation and experiments supported by the experiments of other works.

In the given condition, the answer to the evolutionary question "why the whales have finger bones?" was answered on the basis of the observation that whales have evolved from the land animals in which the finger bones were present and were modified into flippers in whales which was supported by the concept of homologous structures given by Charles Darwin.  

Thus, option B-observation is the correct answer.

Answer 2

The correct answer is (c) Explanation.

The theory of evolution states that the organisms evolve over a period of time. They adapt the characters that helps them to survive.The theory of evolution was used to explain why whales have finger bones. The reason to this was homologous structures. Homologous structure are the organs that have same structure but different functions. Flippers of whale and forearm of human have same structure and different function.

The Theory of Evolution explained why whales have finger bones.