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Only a very small percentage of organisms actually fossilize. Based on the infor

ID: 27004 • Letter: O

Question

Only a very small percentage of organisms actually fossilize. Based on the information in the table below, rank the likely abundance of fossils of organisms A-E. Rank the fossils of organisms A-E from most common to least common. If two fossils have the same commonness, overlap them. Likelihood of finding a fossil Only a very small percentage of organism actually fossilize. Based on the information in the below, rank the likelihood abundance of fossils of organism A-E. Rank the fossils of organism A-E from most common to least common. If two fossils have the same commonness, overlap them. The correct ranking cannot be determined.

Explanation / Answer

Excluding a casts made by volcanic eruptions, locating the fossil remains of an organism depends on protection of its body after it dies. Protections for organisms A and B are silty environments and low oxygen. The high incidence of A, though would improve the likelihood that large numbers of dead individuals would escape being food and lie undisturbed in progressive layers of silt. Fossil A would be more common than fossil B. The hard shell of organism E would provide greater protection from postmortem disturbance than no shell of organism A. Given high incidence, silty environment, and low oxygen, fossil E would be more common than fossil A. Organisms C and D with no hard shell, no silty environment, and high oxygen would be very unlikely to leave fossil traces. With higher incidence, however, fossil C would be more likely to be found than fossil D. Rank of fossils from most common to least common: E, A, B, C, D.