In what ways would an outgroup be helpful in determining how the bones of the mammalian middle ear evolved? a. Using an extinct mammal species as an outgroup would show scientists how the middle ear bones evolved differently in extinct and existing species. b. Using the platypus as an outgroup would allow scientists to examine hearing in a more primitive species with less refined bone development. c. Using the snowy owl as an outgroup would give scientists a way to infer whether the characters of the middle ear bones are ancestral or derived. d. Using an existing reptile species as an outgroup would permit scientists to compare bone structures inside and outside the clade.