Question

Which among the following statements are correct with respect to fossils?

• A. Fossils can help in tracing the evolutionary history of the organism.
• B. The study of fossils is called palaeontology.
• C. The timescale in which the organism existed can be determined by studying fossils.
• D. All fossils represent extinct species.

Answer 1

Answer: (A), (B), (C)

The timescale in which the organism existed can be determined by studying fossils.

Fossils are the traces or the dead remains of the organisms that existed in the past. The study of fossils is called palaeontology. Studying fossils can help us to ascertain how the organism underwent evolution, its ancestors and related organisms. By techniques such as carbon dating, one can know during which timescale the fossilised organism existed. Although fossils represent dead remains of the organism, it does not always mean that the organism in question has become extinct. Fossils of organisms that can even be found today means that the organisms have been on the earth since a very long time. Various fossils of mosquitoes, cockroaches, frogs marine organisms etc. are being discovered even though they are not extinct.