A teacher goes for a hike in a forest. Along the way, she finds a cave. As she examines the entrance, she sees a rock with an imprint of a bat on it and thinks it would be a great find for her class. She continues her walk to the top of a cliff. Here she finds the remnants of a hawk wing. She collects it as well. On her way back to her car, she decides to utilize her discoveries for a class project. Figure 1 shows the bat fossil she collected.

She takes her samples to class with her and shows them to her students. She asks them to compare the wings of each, then decide on a third species to research. The class chooses the penguin. They gather data about all three organisms to determine which two are the most closely related. Table 1 shows some of the data they collect.
Table 1. Characteristics of Animals
Organism | Wing Function | Classification | Number of Limbs | Body Covering | Diet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bat | Fly | Vertebrate | 4 | Fur | Insects/Fruit |
Hawk | Fly | Vertebrate | 4 | Feathers | Mice/Snakes |
Penguin | Swim | Vertebrate | 4 | Feathers | Krill/Fish |
Figure 2 shows the bones and wings of the three organisms.

Table 2 shows the amino acid sequence from the organism’s hemoglobin protein in the red blood cells.
Table 2. Hemoglobin Amino Acid Sequence | |
Bat | Val-Leu-Ser-Pro-Ala-Asp-Lys-Thr-Asn-Val-Lys-Ala-Ala-Tyr-Asp-Lys-Val-Gly-Gly-Asn-Ala |
Penguin | Val-Leu-Ser-Ala-Asn-Asp-Lys-Thr-Asn-Val-Lys-Asn-Val-Phe-Thr-Lys-Ile-Gly-Gly-Ala-Glu |
Hawk | Val-Leu-Ser-Ala-Asn-Asp-Lys-Thr-Asn-Val-Lys-Asn-Val-Phe-Thr-Lys-Ile-Gly-Gly-Ala-Glu |
Figure 3 compares the development of the three organisms.

Analogous structures are different structures that have a similar purpose in different organisms. Which column from Table 1 best shows analogous structures between the bat and the hawk?
Which statement best describes why it is an advantage for hawks to have wings that are better adapted for flying than they are for swimming?
Which statement is best supported by the information in Table 1 and Figure 2?
Using Figure 3, identify one anatomical similarity between the vertebrate embryos. Enter the answer in the box.
As shown in the amino acid sequence, the first three amino acids for the sequenced protein of the included organisms are: Val–Leu–Ser.
Use the mRNA Codon Wheel or Table to provide an mRNA sequence that would code for these three amino acids.

AGC
AAG
Select a word to correctly complete the statement.
Amino acid sequences are important for comparing relatedness among the bat, hawk, and penguin. Amino acids form ( DNA | proteins | genes ) that determine(s) the traits of organisms.
Which data from the passage is the best evidence that penguins and hawks are the most closely related of the three animals?