Darwin referred to coelenterates, such as jellyfish and corals, as "living fossils" because they exhibit features and body plans that have remained largely unchanged for millions of years, resembling their ancient ancestors. This term highlights their evolutionary significance, as they provide insights into the early stages of life on Earth. Their simplicity and stability in form illustrate how certain species can persist through time, offering a glimpse into the past of biological diversity.
Darwin wondered why so many species had disappeared and how they were related to living species.
more than 6,000 years old
Darwin felt that fossils of extinct armadillos that resembled living armadillos were evidence that species change over time through a process of descent with modification, providing support for his theory of evolution by natural selection. The similarities between ancient and modern armadillos suggested a pattern of gradual changes from ancestral forms to present-day species.
Darwin realized after seeing a bunch of fossils (and the differences between the finches on the Galapagos Islands) that animals must be adapting to better fit their environments, and thus, becoming more diverse.
One observation that Darwin made was the fossilized armadillos and these fossils closely resemble, but were not identical to, the armadillos living in the area. Another observation he made was the fact that the plants and animals of the Galápagos Islands resembled those of the nearby coast of South America.
Darwin predicted that the fossil record would either prove or falsify his theory. Darwin realized the difficulty the fossil record (missing links) gave his theory when he said, "Why, if species have descended from other species by fine graduation, do we not everywhere see innumerable transitional forms? Why is not all nature in confusion, instead of the species being, as we see them, well defined?" Today, top evolutionists know that Darwin's predictions of what the fossil record would reveal have failed.
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.
Darwin originated the idea that living things evolve by the means of natural selection. He discovered that species change over time and that they adapt to their habitats. He wrote the Origin of the Species, which caused a lot of controversy.
Darwin's observations regarding ostriches led him to the theory of Evolution. For example, when he visited one part of Argentina, he noticed that the ostriches were similar, not the same, to ostriches from another region of Argentina. The fossil record also mimicked this loosely. Thus, Darwin began to look for a viable theory that could answer this. Hence, the theory of Evolution was born, which made the scientific explanation for life as we know it today. I hope this answers your question.
The principle that living species descend with changes from other species over time is referred to as evolution. This idea was proposed by Charles Darwin in his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.
Fossil records back up evolution by showing the ancestors of extant species. If species didn't evolve, the fossils would be of species currently living, since none of them would have changed. Extant = Currently living Extinct = No longer living
Fossils were of grear interest to early scientists because there: * appered to be of unusual, unknown organisms that were no longer living * are no fossils of most living species * buried very deep within rock more than 1km