A researcher examines genes for several proteins that are quite similar in both structure and function. He is interested in determining whether the genes form a multigene family and in working out which of the proteins arose first evolutionarily. What would be the BEST approach to take to address this question? Be careful to look for the best approach; some other approaches could also provide useful information while being less definitive.
(1 point)
The researcher should sequence the genes and compare their sequences. The most similar genes are likely the most closely related, while those that have more base differences probably diverged earlier.
The researcher should examine the functions of the proteins. Those with the most similar functions are the most closely related
The researcher should induce mutations in the genes to see how these affect the function. The most mutations needed to cause changes in the function of the protein, the older the gene.
The researcher should examine the functions of the proteins: Whichever protein has the most critical function is probably the oldest protein.