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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Multiple Answers ID: #33603 Ancient Whale
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Read the text and answer the question by selecting all the correct responses. You will need to select more than one response.
An even more exciting find was reported in 1994, also from Pakistan. The now extinct whale Ambulocetus natans ("the walking whale that swam") lived in the Tethys Sea 49 million years ago. It lived around 3 million years after Pakicetus but 9 million before Basilosaurus. The fossil luckily includes a good portion of the hind legs. The legs were strong and ended in long feet very much like those of a modern pinniped. The legs were certainly functional both on land and at sea. The whale retained a tail and lacked a fluke, the major means of locomotion in modern cetaceans. The structure of the backbone shows, however, that Ambulocetus swam like modern whales by moving the rear portion of its body up and down, even though a fluke was missing. The large hind legs were used for propulsion in water. On land, where it probably bred and gave birth, Ambulocetus may have moved around very much like a modern sea lion. It was undoubtedly a whale that linked life on land with life at sea.

Why does the author use the word "luckily"in mentioning that the Ambulocetus natans fossil included hind legs?

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Option 2: "The legs provided important information about the evolution of cetaceans."

Explanation: This option is correct as the text implies that the hind legs of Ambulocetus natans are significant for understanding the evolution of cetaceans. The phrase 'luckily' suggests that having these legs in the fossil provides valuable insights into how early whales adapted both on land and in water.

Option 1: "Fossil legs of early whales are a rare find."

Explanation: This option is incorrect because the text does not mention the rarity of fossil legs of early whales. Instead, it focuses on the significance of the hind legs found in the Ambulocetus natans fossil.

Option 3: "The discovery allowed scientists to reconstruct a complete evolution of the whale."

Explanation: This option is also correct because the text indicates that the fossil's hind legs contribute to the understanding of the evolutionary link between land and sea life. The presence of these legs helps scientists piece together the evolutionary history of whales, supporting the idea of reconstructing their evolution.

Option 4: "Until that time, only the front legs of early whales had been discovered."

Explanation: This option is incorrect as the text does not state that only front legs had been discovered prior to this find. It focuses on the significance of the hind legs found in this particular fossil, rather than the history of discoveries of whale fossils.

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