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How the fossils record supports the theory of punctuated equilibrium?
the fossils show massive change at one time (for instance the Grand Canyon; this massive change occurs usually from significant weather/environmental events) , and during the periods between the significant changes not much evolution (changes in genetic expression/genes) occurs.
Why are fossils of intermediate life forms likely to be rare if the pattern of punctuated equilibrium explains how evolution occurs?
Intermediate species forms, yes. A the taxa level, no. Still, not all taxa evidence is supportive of punctuation and stasis. Punctuated equilibrium is only one explanation of how evolution occurs in some species, not all species. The little shellies evidence gradualist processes very well.
Is fossil record considered scientific theory?
Probably more in the line of many converging pieces of evidence in support of theory. Theory is explanation and fossils are just mineralized bones in the rock. which need and explanation. The fossil record supports the theory of evolution by natural selection and, some say, the theory of punctuated equilibrium.
Is a dinosaur track a fossil?
yeah . Yes. They're known as TRACE FOSSILS, as opposed to the BODY FOSSILS that are the preserved bones of ancient organisms. Trace fossils should not be dismissed as immaterial or relatively useless. A tremendous amount of information can be gleaned them
How index fossils can be used to determine the age of rocks?
Index fossils are used to date rocks by correlating the fossils found in the rock layers with known ages of those fossils. Index fossils are distinctive, widespread, and lived for a relatively short period of time. By identifying these fossils in a rock layer, scientists can infer the age of the rock based on the age range of the known fossil.
Which are the remains of species that existed on Earth for relatively short periods of time were abundant and were wide spread geographically?
Trilobites are an example of remains from a species that existed for relatively short periods of time, were abundant, and were geographically widespread. Trilobites lived from the Early Cambrian to the Late Permian period, spanning over 270 million years, and were diverse and numerous in marine environments worldwide. Their fossils are commonly found in rocks around the world.
What fossils are the remains of species that existed abundantly on earth for relatively short periods of time widespread areas?
Index Fossil
How do animals evolve during Gradualism?
Gradualism and punctuated equilibrium are two ways in which the evolution of a species can occur. A species can evolve by only one of these, or by both. Scientists think that species with a shorter evolution evolved mostly by punctuated equilibrium, and those with a longer evolution evolved mostly by gradualism. Gradualism is selection and variation that happens more gradually. Over a short period of time it is hard to notice. Small variations that fit an organism slightly better to its environment are selected for: a few more individuals with more of the helpful trait survive, and a few more with less of the helpful trait die. Very gradually, over a long time, the population changes. Change is slow, constant, and consistent. In punctuated equilibrium, change comes in spurts. There is a period of very little change, and then one or a few huge changes occur, often through mutations in the genes of a few individuals. Mutations are random changes in the DNA that are not inherited from the previous generation, but are passed on to generations that follow. Though mutations are often harmful, the mutations that result in punctuated equilibrium are very helpful to the individuals in their environments. Because these mutations are so different and so helpful to the survival of those that have them, the proportion of individuals in the population who have the mutation/trait and those who don't changes a lot over a very short period of time. The species changes very rapidly over a few generations, then settles down again to a period of little change. This explanation talks about punctuated equilibrium as the result of one or a few mutations that cause large change. However, punctuated equilibrium is any sudden, rapid change in a species and can also be the result of other causes, such as huge and sudden changes in the environment that result in more rapid changes in the organisms through harsher selection. How did the tiger get its stripes: gradualism or punctuated equilibrium? We don't know whether the tiger got its stripes through gradualism or punctuated equilibrium, but in order to explain both concepts, here is how it could have happened through each. Let's assume that stripes are helpful because they help the tiger to camouflage, blend in with the tall grasses where it lives, so that it can sneak up on its prey (what it eats) and not be noticed. Gradualism: A long time ago, there were a lot of tiger-like animals, but without stripes. Most of them were unmarked, but a few had light markings and color variation in their fur. These few blended in with the tall grasses a little bit better, so they were generally able to catch more food, and fewer of the marked than unmarked ones died of hunger, so more of them were able to reproduce. In the next generation, more animals were marked than in the previous generation. Of those that were marked, some had more, some less, and some the same amount of marks than in the previous generation. Also, the marks were more, less, or the same amount clearly defined. Again, the ones with marks did better than the ones without, and the ones with more, clearly defined marks did better than the ones with fewer or fainter marks. Very gradually, over many, many generations, stripes over the tigers' whole bodies formed and appeared in the whole population, because the tigers that survived in each generation were those whose marks were most clear and contrasted most with the rest of the fur, and those that covered the most area on the bodies of the tigers. Punctuated equilibrium: A long time ago, there were a lot of tiger-like animals, but without stripes. One time, a mutation occurred in a few of the animals, causing a huge change: they were born with stripes! This was so helpful to survival that out of the whole population, none or almost none of those with stripes died of hunger. They lived to reproduce, and their striped offspring also did very well. Over only a few generations, the whole population was born striped. A combination: Here is one idea of how tigers could have gotten their stripes by both gradualism and punctuated equilibrium: A mutation had a huge affect, causing distinct, stripe-like markings. These were then gradually "polished up" into stripes. The idea of punctuated equilibrium originated long after the idea of gradualism. Darwin saw evolution as being "steady, slow, and continuous". Later, scientists were studying fossils and they found that some species have their evolution almost "mapped out" in fossils. For others they found a few, very different species along the evolutionary course, but very few or no fossils of "in between" organisms. Also, when dating the fossils, scientists saw that in some species change was very slow, but in others, it must have occurred rapidly to be able to produce such change over such a short amount of time. The scientists reasoned that there had to be another way that evolution could have happened that was quicker and had fewer intermediate species, so the idea of punctuated equilibrium was formed. United Nations Farms
Would you expect to find fossils of an organism that lived relatively recently in old layers of rock or in younger layers?
Fossils of an organism that lived relatively recently would be expected to be found in younger layers of rock, as they would not have had sufficient time to become buried and fossilized in older layers. Fossils of older organisms tend to be found in deeper, older layers of rock.
Explain how an index fossil can be used date rock.?
Index fossils are fossils of organisms that lived for a relatively short period of time but were widespread geographically. By identifying these index fossils in a particular layer of rock, scientists can determine the age of the rock and correlate it with other rock layers containing the same index fossils. This allows for the relative dating of rock layers based on the presence of specific index fossils.
What is a way to determine the actual age of fossils?
Scientists can determine the actual age of fossils using radiometric dating methods, such as carbon-14 dating for relatively young fossils or uranium-lead dating for older fossils. These methods measure the decay of radioactive isotopes in the fossil to calculate its age with a high degree of accuracy.
Are index fossils the remains of species that existed on earth for relatively short periods of time?
Yes, index fossils are the remains of species that lived for short periods of time geologically. They are useful for dating and correlating the age of rock layers.
