Question

Connecting links in evolution refer to

• A. living organisms that bridge the gap between group of organisms
• B. fossils that would not bridge the gap between the most primitive and the most evolved groups of organisms
• C. the transitional fossils between the most primitive and the most evolved groups of organisms
• D. both a and b

Answer 1

The correct option is A living organisms that bridge the gap between group of organisms

Connecting links in the line of evolution refer to living organisms which share the characteristics of two different groups and bridge the gap between these two evolutionary groups.

An example of a living organism which acts as a connecting link, would be Euglena. It shares characteristics between plants (presence of chlorophyll) and animals (presence of contractile vacuole, stores food in the form of glycogen), and thus acts as a connecting link.


Organisms (fossils) showing intermediate characteristics between ancestral forms and their corresponding descendants are known as transitional fossils. Example: Tiktaalik - transitional fossil between fish and tetrapods.