Which of the following best describes the type of information that fossils provide about the history of organisms on Earth?

• A. Fossils reveal the appearance, diversity, and evolutionary changes of organisms over time.
• B. Fossils show the exact DNA sequences of ancient organisms.
• C. Fossils indicate the weather patterns during the time the organism lived.
• D. Fossils provide information about the current population sizes of living species.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Begin by understanding what fossils are. Fossils are preserved remains, impressions, or traces of organisms that lived in the past. They are typically found in sedimentary rocks and provide valuable information about Earth's biological history.
2. Step 2: Analyze the options provided in the question. Consider the type of information fossils can realistically provide. Fossils primarily reveal physical characteristics, diversity, and evolutionary changes of organisms over time, rather than molecular data like DNA sequences or environmental factors like weather patterns.
3. Step 3: Eliminate options that are not supported by the nature of fossil evidence. For example, fossils do not provide exact DNA sequences because DNA degrades over time and is rarely preserved in fossilized remains. Similarly, fossils do not directly indicate weather patterns or current population sizes of living species.
4. Step 4: Focus on the correct option, which states that fossils reveal the appearance, diversity, and evolutionary changes of organisms over time. This aligns with the scientific understanding of how fossils contribute to studying the history of life on Earth.
5. Step 5: Conclude that fossils are a key tool for paleontologists to reconstruct the evolutionary history of organisms, track changes in biodiversity, and understand how life has adapted to changing environments over geological time.