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Item EN052001: A scientist studying the fossils of an extinct species of fish could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.

A scientist finds some fossils of an extinct species of fish. Which of the following could he do by studying the fossils?

  1. He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, and he could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.
  2. He could discover what anatomical features the extinct species had, but he could not discover any similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish.
  3. He could discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, but he could not discover what anatomical features the extinct species had.
  4. He could neither discover similarities and differences between the features of the extinct fish and those of currently existing fish, nor could he discover what anatomical features the extinct species had.
Distribution of responses
Answer Choice
Overall
Grades
Gender
Primary Language
 
n = 3121
6–8
n = 1946
9–12
n = 1175
Male
n = 1470
Female
n = 1559
English
n = 2806
Other
n = 222
A. 54% 51% 60% 54% 55% 54% 54%
B. 14% 14% 13% 14% 14% 14% 14%
C. 24% 25% 21% 24% 24% 24% 25%
D. 8% 9% 6% 8% 7% 8% 8%