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Explain the importance of fossils in deciding evolutionary relationships.
Explain the importance of fossils in deciding evolutionary relationships.
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Fossils provide us with the knowledge of animals and plants that lived hundreds of years ago and now which are now extinct. It helps us to compare the animals that lived during prehistoric times with their present descendants. They provide the missing link in the study of evolution.
fossils are an important source of evidence for evolution. They help us study ancient organisms, identify extinct and transitional forms, observe gradual changes, and determine evolutionary relationships between different groups. Therefore, the study of fossils helps scientists understand how present-day organisms evolved from their ancestors over millions of years.
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of organisms that lived in the past, and they play a key role in helping scientists trace evolutionary relationships between species:
They provide missing links between different groups. The discovery of certain fossils provides missing links between two different groups and indicates their evolutionary relationship — for example, the fossil Archaeopteryx looks like a bird with teeth in its jaws, fingers ending in claws, and a long tail, all reptilian characters, while also having avian characters like feathers, a rounded cranium, and forelimbs modified into wings, providing strong evidence that birds evolved from reptiles.