Evolution
Evolution and Natural Selection
Similarities and differences in inherited characteristics of organisms alive today or in the past can be used to…
Item CA040003: Scientists can use similarities in the embryos of two animal species to help determine how closely they are related.
Scientists use various methods to determine how closely two species are related. One method is to compare the physical features of the two species and another is to compare their DNA. Can scientists also use similarities in the embryos of two animal species to help determine how closely they are related?
- No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. Scientists can obtain the same information by comparing features of the adult organisms.
- No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. The embryos change too much as they grow into adult organisms.
- Yes, comparing embryos is a useful way of determining how closely two animal species are related. There may be important similarities in the features of the embryos, even when adults of the species look very different.
- Yes, it is sometimes useful to compare embryos, but only when the adult organisms are very similar.
Pre-Test
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 559 |
6–8 n = 23 |
9–12 n = 499 |
Male n = 221 |
Female n = 300 |
English n = 516 |
Other n = 13 |
||
| A. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. Scientists can obtain the same information by comparing features of the adult organisms. | 4% | 4% | 4% | 4% | 5% | 4% | 15% |
| B. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. The embryos change too much as they grow into adult organisms. | 17% | 22% | 16% | 17% | 16% | 17% | 8% |
| C. | Yes, comparing embryos is a useful way of determining how closely two animal species are related. There may be important similarities in the features of the embryos, even when adults of the species look very different. | 67% | 65% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 67% | 62% |
| D. | Yes, it is sometimes useful to compare embryos, but only when the adult organisms are very similar. | 12% | 9% | 12% | 13% | 12% | 12% | 15% |
Post-Test (Control)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 281 |
6–8 n = 18 |
9–12 n = 229 |
Male n = 109 |
Female n = 135 |
English n = 243 |
Other n = 9 |
||
| A. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. Scientists can obtain the same information by comparing features of the adult organisms. | 5% | 6% | 5% | 6% | 4% | 5% | 0% |
| B. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. The embryos change too much as they grow into adult organisms. | 15% | 17% | 14% | 16% | 16% | 14% | 22% |
| C. | Yes, comparing embryos is a useful way of determining how closely two animal species are related. There may be important similarities in the features of the embryos, even when adults of the species look very different. | 74% | 67% | 74% | 74% | 72% | 74% | 67% |
| D. | Yes, it is sometimes useful to compare embryos, but only when the adult organisms are very similar. | 6% | 11% | 7% | 5% | 9% | 7% | 11% |
Post-Test (Treatment)
Answer Choice |
Overall |
Grades |
Gender |
Primary Language |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n = 305 |
6–8 n = 3 |
9–12 n = 280 |
Male n = 139 |
Female n = 150 |
English n = 276 |
Other n = 8 |
||
| A. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. Scientists can obtain the same information by comparing features of the adult organisms. | 3% | 0% | 3% | 2% | 3% | 2% | 13% |
| B. | No, comparing embryos of organisms does not help in determining how closely two animal species are related. The embryos change too much as they grow into adult organisms. | 9% | 0% | 10% | 7% | 12% | 9% | 38% |
| C. | Yes, comparing embryos is a useful way of determining how closely two animal species are related. There may be important similarities in the features of the embryos, even when adults of the species look very different. | 83% | 100% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 83% | 50% |
| D. | Yes, it is sometimes useful to compare embryos, but only when the adult organisms are very similar. | 5% | 0% | 5% | 7% | 3% | 5% | 0% |