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The First Fossil of Archaeopteryx, Which Lived About 150 Million

question 1

Multiple Choice

The first fossil of Archaeopteryx, which lived about 150 million years ago, was found in the Solnhofen Quarry in Germany. Archaeopteryx has an interesting collection of characters that led to the hypothesis that it represented an evolutionary transition between modern-day birds and small bipedal dinosaurs. The fossil reveals the imprint of feathers, which connect Archaeopteryx to birds, although they do not present direct evidence of flight. Unlike birds, however, Archaeopteryx was shown by the fossil record to have had teeth, functional claws on the wings that may have been used for climbing trees or holding prey, and a long, bony tail. Birds have a fused collarbone, which was found in Archaeopteryx as well. However, the structure of the sternum differed between the two. In birds, the sternum is keeled (raised and slightly concave) ; the keel of the sternum serves as an attachment site for the flight muscles. Archaeopteryx had a flat sternum, similar to that found in reptiles.
-If you were constructing a phylogenetic tree for the evolution of birds, which characters found in Archaeopteryx might provide evidence that birds and dinosaurs had a common ancestor?

Definitions:

Correlation Coefficient

The correlation coefficient is a statistical measure that calculates the strength and direction of a linear relationship between two variables.

Stepwise Regression

A method of regression analysis that involves automatic selection of independent variables to use in a model based on certain criteria.

Backward Elimination

A stepwise regression technique where all predictors are included in the model initially, and then the least significant predictor is removed step-by-step until the best model is identified.

Forward Selection

A stepwise approach in model selection where variables are added one by one based on their statistical significance.