Question
Paleontologists identified a gap in fossil records for a time period of approximately 245 years ago. What do they think happened during this time period?
(1 point)
Responses
A change in humidity prevented animal remains from fossilizing.
A change in humidity prevented animal remains from fossilizing.
An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.
An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.
Gradual climate change made the atmosphere unable to support life.
Gradual climate change made the atmosphere unable to support life.
The break up of Pangaea disturbed Earth’s crust so that all remains were lost.
(1 point)
Responses
A change in humidity prevented animal remains from fossilizing.
A change in humidity prevented animal remains from fossilizing.
An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.
An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.
Gradual climate change made the atmosphere unable to support life.
Gradual climate change made the atmosphere unable to support life.
The break up of Pangaea disturbed Earth’s crust so that all remains were lost.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
Paleontologists identified a gap in fossil records for a time period of approximately 245 years ago. They often hypothesize that this gap could be due to a combination of factors influencing fossilization and preservation, rather than a single event. However, in the context of the provided responses, the most plausible explanation typically considered in paleontological discussions regarding gaps in the fossil record is:
**An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.**
This aligns with ideas about mass extinction events that could theoretically lead to significant losses in biodiversity and subsequent gaps in the fossil record.
**An unknown catastrophic event killed off most living creatures.**
This aligns with ideas about mass extinction events that could theoretically lead to significant losses in biodiversity and subsequent gaps in the fossil record.