Question

The ribosome of the bacterium E. coli includes the ribosomal protein L4 (rpl4). The rpl4 gene carries the instructions for making rpl4 protein. Which of the following arguments provides support for the claim that E. coli has a common ancestor with all other organisms?

Answer 1

Every organism possesses in its ribosome a protein that is similar to rpl4. This protein has an amino acid sequence that is similar to the sequence of E. coli’s rpl4.

Step-by-step explanation:

Phylogenetic tree is a diagram which represents the similarities between different organisms and shows their evolutionary histories.

The presence of a similar genetic sequence or amino acid sequence shows that the gene is common in all those organisms. This means that all organisms had a common ancestor through which the gene or amino acid was transferred. The genetic r amino acid sequence remained common in all the different organisms.