Question

Differentiate between connecting links and the missing links.

Answer 1

Connecting links are living intermediate forms which possess characters of two groups. Missing links are the transitional or intermediate forms between two groups of organisms that occur only in the fossil state.

Answer 2

Aspect	Connecting Links	Missing Links
Definition	Living animals that possess characters of two different groups, establishing continuity by showing how one group evolved from the other.	Extinct organisms that had characters of two different groups, helping to establish the evolutionary path.
Existence	Currently living organisms.	Extinct organisms (fossils).
Role	Show evolutionary relationship and continuity between groups.	Provide evidence about the transition and evolutionary history.
Examples	Lung fish (Protopterus) linking fish and amphibians; egg-laying mammals linking mammals and reptiles.	Archaeopteryx lithographica, showing reptilian and bird features.