Question

Carl Woese established that short subunit rRNA sequences can be used to reveal evolutionary relationships between various organisms. Based on this, which one of the following options is the established phylogenetic arrangement of the three domains of life?

• A. I
• B. IV
• C. III
• D. II

Hint:

Woese's groundbreaking work revealed that Archaea and Eukarya share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with Bacteria, fundamentally altering our understanding of evolutionary biology.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Carl Woese's work on the phylogenetic tree of life, based on the analysis of 16S rRNA sequences, established that the three domains of life are Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya. Based on his findings, the correct evolutionary relationship between these domains is shown in option III, where Eukarya is more closely related to Archaea than to Bacteria. This was a major breakthrough in understanding the evolutionary relationships of life on Earth.
- Option (I) is incorrect because it places Eukarya closer to Bacteria, which is not supported by Woese's findings.
- Option (II) is also incorrect because it places Eukarya closer to Bacteria rather than Archaea.
- Option (IV) is incorrect as it does not reflect the correct phylogenetic tree according to Woese's research, with Eukarya incorrectly placed far from Archaea and Bacteria.
- Option (III) is correct because it shows Eukarya branching off from Archaea in a more recent common ancestor with Archaea than with Bacteria, which matches the established phylogenetic tree by Woese.
Thus, the correct answer is (C) III, which accurately represents the phylogenetic relationships.