AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Fossils document the existence of now-extinct species, showing that different organisms have lived on Earth during different periods of the planet’s history. They can also help scientists reconstruct the evolutionary histories of present-day species.

Detailed explanation-2: -Fossils provide important evidence for evolution and the adaptation of plants and animals to their environments. Fossil evidence provides a record of how creatures evolved and how this process can be represented by a ‘tree of life’, showing that all species are related to each other.

Detailed explanation-3: -Fossils. Fossils document the existence of now-extinct past species that are related to present-day species. Direct observation. We can directly observe small-scale evolution in organisms with short lifecycles (e.g., pesticide-resistant insects).

Detailed explanation-4: -The fossil record provides snapshots of the past which, when assembled, illustrate a panorama of evolutionary change over the past 3.5 billion years. The picture may be smudged in places and has bits missing, but fossil evidence clearly shows that life is very, very old and has changed over time through evolution.