Question

Missing links in evolution refer to

• A. fossils that bridge the gap between two adjacent groups of organisms.
• B. those transitional species whose fossils have not been discovered in the chain of evolution.
• C. the lost species that can never be found.
• D. different species that are not related

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B)

those transitional species whose fossils have not been discovered in the chain of evolution.

Missing links or transitional species are those intermediate species in the line of evolution, that exhibit characteristics common to both their immediate ancestral and descendant groups. These organisms are called “transitional species” because after the discovery of their fossils, they have been found to bridge the gap between two adjacent evolutionary groups, thus, acting as connecting links. Archaeopteryx for instance, is a transitional species that exhibits both reptilian and avian features.