The Following Questions Refer to the Table Below, Which Compares $\quad$

Multiple Choice

The following questions refer to the table below, which compares the % sequence homology of four different parts (2 introns and 2 exons) of a gene that is found in five different eukaryotic species. Each part is numbered to indicate its distance from the promoter (e.g., Intron I is that closest to the promoter) . The data reported for Species A were obtained by comparing DNA from one member of species A to another member of Species A.
$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\text { \%/ Sequence Homology }$
$\begin{array} { l l l l l } \text { Species } & \text { Intron I } & \text { Exon I } & \text { Intron VI } & \text { Exon V } \\\text { A } & 100 \% & 100 \% & 100 \% & 100 \% \\\text { B } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 82 \% & 96 \% \\\text { C } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 89 \% & 96 \% \\\mathrm { D } & 99 \% & 99 \% & 92 \% & 97 \% \\\mathrm { E } & 98 \% & 99 \% & 80 \% & 94 \%\end{array}$
-Which of these is the best explanation for the relatively low level of sequence homology observed in Intron VI?

A) Mutations that occur here are neutral; thus, are neither selected for nor against, and thereby accumulate over time.
B) Its higher mutation rate has resulted in its highly conserved nature.
C) The occurrence of molecular homoplasy explains it.
D) This intron is not actually homologous, having resulted from separate bacteriophage-induced transduction events in these five species.