answersLogoWhite

0

The fossil organisms Darwin observed, particularly in the layers of sedimentary rock, exhibited significant changes over time, suggesting a gradual evolution of species. He noted the presence of extinct species that were similar yet distinct from contemporary organisms, indicating a long history of life on Earth. This evidence of gradual change and the geological processes he studied led him to conclude that the Earth must be much older than previously thought, allowing ample time for evolution to occur.

User Avatar

AnswerBot

1d ago

What else can I help you with?

Continue Learning about Natural Sciences

How do you estimate the age of the Earth using fossil record?

Cannot be done as the Earth is much older than the oldest fossils.


What is called when organisms are trapped in sedimentary rock?

when an organism is trapped in sedimentary rock, it will die and the organism will slowly decay, but it won't decay altogether and you get a fossil. the older the fossil is the lower down it will be in a sedimentary layer. that's called superposition...


Fossils in newers layers of earth tend to resemble current?

The principle of fossil succession states that fossils found in younger layers of rock tend to be more similar to current species, while fossils in older layers differ more. This is because newer fossils represent species that have evolved and survived to the present day, while older fossils may belong to species that have become extinct. This pattern helps scientists understand the evolution and biodiversity of life on Earth.


How fossil tell the age of earth?

Fossils can only provide an estimation of the age of the formation surrounding it. One scientific method of dating a fossil involves analysing the isotopes surrounding it. Another method involves looking at the layers of rock in which it is embedded.


What two characteristics of early animals explain the scarcity of animal fossils older than the Cambrian Period?

The soft-bodied nature of early animals and their small size are two characteristics that explain the scarcity of animal fossils older than the Cambrian Period. Soft-bodied organisms are less likely to fossilize than hard-bodied ones, and small organisms are harder to preserve in the fossil record.

Related Questions

How did the study of organisms on islands help support Darwin's ideas?

It Gave evidence and the fossil organisms on the bottom or older layers were more primitive than those in upper or newer layers.


What evidence did Darwin observe that led him to believe that Earth was older than 6000 years?

Darwin found fossils that were similar but not the same as living species.Living species might have some relationship to the fossil form. In order for such changes to occur, Darwin figured that earth must be much older than 6000 years.


What does the fossil record reveal about new species of organisms?

They evolved over time from older species.


What is sedimentary rock in which the older rocksunless disruptedare on the bottom?

The type of sedimentary rock in which the older rocks, unless disrupted, are on the bottom is called a fossil-rich limestone. This rock contains fossil remains of prehistoric organisms.


How do you estimate the age of the Earth using fossil record?

Cannot be done as the Earth is much older than the oldest fossils.


How old did Darwin propose the Earth was?

Darwin proposed that the Earth was much older than previously thought, estimating it to be at least hundreds of millions of years old based on geological evidence he encountered during his travels.


What is the relationship between the age of fossil and what level it is found in the earth?

In general ; the deeper its found the older it is.


You find fossil A at 35 feet and fossil B at 135 feet Which one is older?

fossil b is older new rocks get pushed to the top and older rocks go down


Is a 1490 Spanish gold coin a fossil?

No. A fossil would have been alive and much older, so a coin is not a fossil.


Is a fossil older or younger than a another fossil in a lower rock?

According to the geologic Law of Superposition, in undisturbed rock strata, the deepest rock layers are always the oldest. Accordingly, a fossil found in a lower layer of undisturbed rock would be the older.


How did Lyell's book principles of geology help Darwin see that natural selection over many generations could explain species modification.?

With Lydell's book , the premise that stratification can take millions of years, it allowed Darwin the freedom to accept that the world was much older than current conjecture. Armed with that notion, Darwin realized there was enough time for organisms to develop from ancestors.


How can scientists understand what the relevant age of a fossil is?

There are layers of earth that are deposited over time and based on where a fossil is in the layers a scientist can understand what the age of the fossil is relevant to another fossil in a different layer of earth. The law of superposition says that new sediment is deposited on top of old sediment so, the sediment in the bottom layer is the oldest and the sediment at the top is the youngest. Because of this the fossils in the bottom layer are the oldest and the fossils near the top are the youngest. Say you have 10 layers of rock, and the top layer is number 1 (the youngest) and the bottom layer is number 10 (the oldest). Even if a scientist can't tell exactly how old a fossil is if they know it is in a layer deeper than another fossil they know it is older than that fossil so, a fossil from layer 9 is older than a fossil from layer 5 which is also older than a fossil from layer 3. This is relative age. If we take it a step further... If a scientist knows that the fossil in layer 4 is 65 million years old than we not only know the fossils in layer 5-10 are older than the one in layer 4, but that they are all older than 65 million years old. So, the fossils in layer 1-3 would be less than 65 million years old. Scientists can know how old a specific fossil is sometimes based on whether or not it is an index fossil (a fossil that only occurred during a very small, specific interval of time), or if it is possible to carbon date it or something in the same layer.