The study of fossils provides information which helps us to-
a) show how individual organisms change over time.
This is a trick question. An individual organism, for example could be you. The fossil record show organisms male, female, and of all ages. The age of the individual can be deduced from growth rings in the bone. This can placed into a series of fossile to reconstruct the development of a particular species over time.
b) explain the mechanism of natural selection
The mechanism of natural selection involves selecting charateristics traits in a population, that then become more common down the generations. The selection can be by preditors, some feature that means the organism is more healthy, or by selection by mates. This is the least likely answer, as this mostly requires exploration of the complete environment.
c) trace the ancestry of certain organisms
This is the best answer. When we dig up a fossil it will have features that have carried forward into future generations. This allows the ancestry or family tree to be traced.
d) demonstrate the origin of life
Demostrate means show how life began. At the moment scientist only have theories or guesses, that life emerged from a chemical soup that existed in ancient earth
About Me
- drhill
- I come from a Science family: My father Geoffrey Hill was Australia's first computer programmer on CSIRAC the fourth computer in the world. He is credited with invention of Computer music and the development of “Interprogram” a language before Basic. My PhD is in Atomic and Molecular Physics. I have researched the activated oxygen layer above the ozone layer, and 'Assigned' the world's smallest molecule. At the University of Toronto I researched high power UV lasers. I have specialized in automation in fibre optics. This developed into research in Machine Intellect and Robots. I have enjoyed work as an Explainer with Questacon and my time as a part-time soldier. I currently teach High School Science at Epping Boys’ High.