Chapter 23, Problem 1TYK

The fossil record:

a. provides direct and indirect evidence about life in the past.

b. shoes that all morphological novelties arise rapidly.

c. provides abundant data about rare species with local distributions.

d. is equally good for all organisms that ever lived.

e. provides no evidence about the physiology or behavior of ancient organisms.

Summary Introduction

Introduction:

Fossil records display the history of life. They are the remains of ancient organisms that lived in earlier geological periods. They are of varying types - molds, casts, and trace fossils. They are mainly present throughout the surface layers of the earth.

Answer to Problem 1TYK

Correct answer:

Provides direct and indirect evidence about life in the past.

Explanation of Solution

Justification/ Explanation for the correct answer:

Option (a) is that it provides direct and indirect evidence about life in the past. Fossils are classified into two types of evidence – direct and indirect. The ancient organism that is preserved as it is, that is, without any alteration, is called direct evidence. They are called so because their structure can be deduced directly by looking at the fossil. Molds, casts and coprolites are indirect evidence because they give information about the way of living. They provide both direct and indirect evidence about the ancient organism. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Explanation for the incorrect answers:

Option (b) is that it shows that all morphological novelties arise rapidly. Fossil records do not give any information about the morphological features of the organism. They provide anatomical data about the organism only. So, it is an incorrect option.

Option (c) is that it provides abundant data about rare species with local distributions. Fossils are the remains of ancient organisms. Fossils do not give entire data about rare species as the fossil of a complete individual of rare species is very hard to find. So, it is an incorrect option.

Option (d) is that it is equally good for all organisms that ever lived. The fossil records of the organisms that did not play any role in evolution do not have any significance. Thus, fossil records are not equally good for all organisms. So, it is an incorrect option.

Option (e) is that it provides no evidence about the physiology or behavior of ancient organisms. The area or region where the fossil records have been found can give an idea about the physiology of an organism. A fossil found in an arid area can give information about its physiology, that is, that it must have the adaptations to combat with dry conditions. Thus, fossil records give evidence about the physiology of the organism as well as the behavior. So, it is an incorrect option.

Hence, options (b), (c), (d) and (e) are incorrect.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be concluded that fossil records provide both direct and indirect evidence about an ancient organism. They do not give information about the morphological features of the organisms but provide evidence of the physiology or behavior of an ancient organism.