Question

dr. digger, a paleontologist, finds a fossil that he describes in his journal.
the creature was approximately 1 meter long, with its backbone fused into a large shell covering the body cavity. it had a beaklike mouth, without teeth, and all four limbs were in the form of flippers.
based on anatomical similarities, to which modern animal is dr. diggers creature most closely related?
zebra
bony fish
sea turtle
snake

Explanation:

• Zebra: Has teeth, no shell, and legs not in flipper form.
• Bony fish: No shell, no beak - like mouth (has teeth in most cases), and fins not similar to the described limbs.
• Sea turtle: Has a shell (backbone - related structure in some aspects), a beak - like mouth (no teeth), and flipper - like limbs.
• Snake: No shell, no flipper - like limbs, and has a different mouth structure.

Answer:

sea turtle