What Is the Molecular Clock

question 62

Multiple Choice

What is the molecular clock?

• A) The rate at which mutations accumulate in DNA within a species.
• B) The rate at which new species diverge from ancestral species.
• C) The rate at which structures no longer needed become small and insignificant.
• D) The rate at which new discoveries are made about gene homology.

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Definitions:

Eruption

The discharge of lava, ash, and gases from a volcano or other opening in the Earth's surface.

Hot Spot

A region in the Earth's mantle from which hot plumes of magma rise to the surface, often forming volcanic islands.

Subsidence

The gradual settling or sinking of the Earth's surface with little or no horizontal motion, often due to natural underground processes.

Fold and Thrust Belt

A series of mountainous folds and thrust faults that are typically formed at convergent plate boundaries.