Molecular clock analysis can provide which of the following:

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

When evaluating what molecular clock analysis can provide, a careful look at each option helps separate the truly informative outputs from the incorrect ones.
Option a: 'The age of divergence between different groups of organisms' is accurate. Molecular clock methods estimate the time since lineages split based on the accumulation of genetic mutations over evolutionary time, giving ages for divergence events among groups.
Option b: 'The genome of ancient organisms' is not something molecular clock analysis yields. The clock uses molecular differences to infer times, not to resurrect or reconstruct ancient genomes themselves.
Option c: 'Numerical ages for rocks with no fossils' is something radiometric dating can do, not molecular clock analysis. Molecular clocks rely on genetic data, whereas rock dating uses isotopic decay measurements, typically independent of fossils.
Option d: 'Numerical ages for rocks with fossils' pairs two domains: fossil dating and rock dating. While fossils can calibrate molecular clocks, the numerical ages for rocks themselves come from radiometric methods, not the molecular clock directly. Therefore this option misattributes the method.
In summary, the distinctive strength of molecular clock analysis is its ability to translate genetic divergence into time estimates between lineages, which aligns with option a. The remaining choices mischaracterize what the molecular clock directly provides or confuse it with other dating techniques.

GEOL0003_24-25 Final Quiz (if you have a SORA use the alternative link below) (2025)

Molecular clock analysis can provide which of the following:

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