Chapter 32, Problem S27.2BYB

Summary Introduction

To review:

The fossil record supports evolutionary evidence

Introduction:

Evolution is the story of common descent. Fossil records are a wealthy source of evidence to many chapters in this story. Fossils are remains of plants, animals and other organisms that got buried deep under the earth and their remains got preserved in nature bones or even impressions on rocks.

Explanation of Solution

Fossil records are well-preserved information of the past. They suggest the species environment, species interaction and even about the inter-species relationship. There are classic examples of fossils indicating the missing link species in the tree of evolution. An excellent example of such a transitional fossil is that of archeopteryx. It was a theropod dinosaur which is believed to be the missing link between dinosaurs and birds.

The fossil record shows some order of development. They indicate life developed from smaller simpler organisms to the larger complex ones. There was a succession of species. Fossils have shown many intermediate species between fishes and amphibians, between amphibians and reptiles and also between reptiles and mammals. This is evidence strong enough to support the evolutionary phylogenetic trees.

Conclusion

In the course of evolution, nature has conserved the remains of many extinct organisms that have left behind their marks in the form of fossils. These fossil records are a key informational support to the hypothesis that evolution has been gradual over time. The geological age of microbial fossils are older and those of complex primates recent with many species in between. All in all fossil record provide strong evidence which helps scientists draw the path of evolution.