Question

Which one of the following is a striking feature of the lobefin group of fishes that helped in evolution?

• A. They are considered living fossils.
• B. They have become extinct.
• C. Coelacanth, a lobefin fish, was caught in South Africa in 1938.
• D. They had stout and strong fins, so they could go to land and come back to water.

Hint:

Think of the fleshy, bony paired fins of lobefins and how they helped fishes move on land.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Step 1: Understanding the Concept
Lobefins were fishes with fleshy, lobed paired fins supported by bones.

Step 2: Evolutionary importance
These stout and strong fins could support the body, so the fishes could move onto land and return to water.

Step 3: Why the other options fail
Being living fossils, becoming extinct, or the 1938 coelacanth catch are facts about lobefins. They are not the feature that helped evolution.

Final Answer:
The stout, strong fins that let them go to land and return to water helped evolution. \[ \boxed{\text{(D) }\text{They had stout and strong fins, so they could go to land and come back to water.}} \]