The following summaries describe some published research results.
Research 1. Wu and Li (1985): The comparative analysis of homologous genes between human and mouse genomes suggests that the evolutionary rate of homologous genes was higher in the mouse lineage than in the human lineage.
Research 2. Smith and Donohe (2008) : The plant families Caprifoliacease, Asclepiadeceae and Lamiaceae are compsed of both herbaceous and arborescent speciers. The comparative analysis of homologous genes between the herbaceous and arborescent species within a single plant family suggests that the evolutionary rate of homologous genes in herbaceous lineages were faster than of arborescent lineages in all three plant familes.
Research 3. Gilman et al. (2009): The comparative analysis of 130 homologous mitochondrial genes between a sister species pair of vertebrates from the temperate region and from the tropical region indicate that the base substitution rates of homologous genes from the tropical region are 1.7 times faster than that of the temperate region.
Based on these studies which of the following statements best describes the common evolutionary processes in plant and animal genes?

Options

A. The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in shot-lived animals and plants.
B. The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in higher animals and plants.
C. The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in animals and plants which lived in higher temperature regions.
D. Direct comparisons of homologous genes between animals and plants show that the plants evolve faster than animals.

Explanation

To analyze the common evolutionary processes in plant and animal genes based on the provided research summaries, we can follow these steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understand Research Findings**:
- **Research 1 (Wu and Li, 1985)**: Indicates that the evolutionary rate of homologous genes is higher in the mouse lineage compared to humans. This suggests that shorter-lived species (like mice) may evolve faster due to quicker generation times.
- **Research 2 (Smith and Donohe, 2008)**: Shows that within certain plant families, herbaceous species (short-lived) have a faster evolutionary rate than arborescent species (long-lived). This reinforces the idea that shorter-lived species tend to evolve more rapidly.
- **Research 3 (Gilman et al., 2009)**: Compares vertebrate species from temperate and tropical regions, finding that the evolutionary rate of genes is faster in tropical species. The tropical regions have been stable for longer periods, allowing for greater diversity and faster evolution.

2. **Identify Common Themes**:
- Across all three studies, a pattern emerges that suggests shorter-lived species (both in animals and plants) tend to have higher evolutionary rates. This is likely due to more frequent generations and the accumulation of mutations over time.

3. **Evaluate the Given Statements**:
- **Option 1**: "The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in short-lived animals and plants." This aligns with the findings from all three studies.
- **Option 2**: "The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in higher animals and plants." This is not supported by the research.
- **Option 3**: "The evolutionary rate of genes are accelerated in animals and plants which lived in high temperature regions." While tropical regions show faster rates, this does not encompass all findings.
- **Option 4**: "The direct comparison of homologous genes between animals and plants show that the plants evolve faster than animals." This is not supported by the research.

4. **Conclusion**:
- The best statement that describes the common evolutionary processes in plant and animal genes based on the research is **Option 1**: "The evolutionary rates of genes are accelerated in short-lived animals and plants."