Question

Read the following statement and justify the same in your own words with the help of a suitable example.

Study of fossils is an important aspect of study of evolution.

Answer 1

1. Fossils offer palaeontological evidence for the evolutionary process.
2. Due to natural calamities, the organisms were buried in ancient times.
3. The impressions and remnants of such organisms remain preserved underground. The hot lava also traps some organisms or their impressions. All such formations form fossils.
4. The study of fossils helps researchers understand the characteristics of organisms that existed in the past.
5. The carbon dating method helps determine the exact age of the fossil. According to the structure of Earth’s crust, fossils are obtained at specific depths.
6. The most recent are on the upper surface, while the oldest are at depth. As a result, invertebrate fossils were discovered in the ancient Palaeozoic period. Fossils of reptiles and amphibians were later discovered. Reptiles dominated the Mesozoic era, while mammals were present during the Coenozoic era.
7. In this way, the study of fossils unfolds the evolutionary secrets.