The biggest spin off of taxonomic studies was the recognition of sharing of similarities among living organisms both _____(A) and ____(B)

Answer

**Step-by-Step Text Solution:**

1. **Understanding the Question**: The question asks for the two terms (A and B) that describe the sharing of similarities among living organisms as a result of taxonomic studies.

2. **Identifying the Terms**: The terms we need to fill in are related to how organisms share similarities. The two contexts are:
- **A**: Refers to similarities among organisms that exist at the same time.
- **B**: Refers to similarities that trace back through time, including ancestors and descendants.

3. **Filling in the Blanks**:
- For **A**, the appropriate term is **"horizontally"**. This indicates that organisms alive at the same time share similarities.
- For **B**, the appropriate term is **"vertically"**. This indicates that organisms share similarities through evolutionary history, connecting ancestors to descendants.

4. **Constructing the Final Sentence**: The complete sentence now reads: "The biggest spin-off of taxonomic studies was the recognition of sharing of similarities among living organisms both **horizontally** and **vertically**."

5. **Explaining the Terms**:
- **Horizontal Similarity**: This refers to the genetic and phenotypic similarities observed among organisms that coexist in the same time period.
- **Vertical Similarity**: This refers to the genetic and phenotypic similarities that can be traced back through evolutionary history, connecting current organisms with their ancestors.

**Final Answer**: The biggest spin-off of taxonomic studies was the recognition of sharing of similarities among living organisms both **horizontally** and **vertically**.

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