Observe the given animals and answer the questions :[Fig. A: a lizard-like reptile with four sprawling limbs and a long tail. Fig. B: a snake-like reptile with an elongated curved body and a small reduced limb (vestigial pelvic spur) near the middle…

Answer: (a) Fig. A is a lizard and Fig. B is a snake. (b) This is evidence of evolution from comparative anatomy — the vestigial (reduced) limbs and pelvic girdle of the snake show that its ancestors had limbs.

(a) Both animals belong to class Reptilia. The lizard has four well developed limbs, while the snake has a long limbless body with only small vestigial structures left.

(b) The presence of useless, reduced organs such as the rudimentary limbs and pelvic girdle of the python, and the similarity in the basic plan of the skeleton, are morphological (anatomical) evidence of evolution. They show that snakes evolved from lizard-like ancestors which had limbs, and that the two animals are related.