EVOLUTION
MODERN THEORY OF EVOLUTION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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fossils get eroded away over time
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most organisms never became fossils
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scavengers and decomposers eat them too quickly
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all of the above
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Detailed explanation-1: -The fossil record is considered to be incomplete because fossilization is a very rare phenomenon. Most organisms decompose quickly after their death, and their remains dispersed. In order for fossilization to occur, the remains have to be covered by sediments and stay undisturbed for thousands of years.
Detailed explanation-2: -Over very long periods of time, the hard parts of organism such as the skeleton becomes replaced by minerals. This process essentially turns the organism into stone. As this is a very specific process and fossils are difficult to find, there are many gaps in the fossil record.
Detailed explanation-3: -We expect the fossil record to be incomplete for all of the following reasons EXCEPT:-All biomolecules, including lipids and pigment molecules, decay immediately after death.
Detailed explanation-4: -The fossil record is incomplete because most organisms never became fossils. And, many fossils have yet to be discovered. Scientists know more about organisms that had hard body parts rather than a soft body because hard body organisms favored fossilization.