In three to five sentences, explain how the fossil record provides evidence for the idea of natural selection. (4 points)

Answer 1

The fossil record provides evidence for the idea of natural selection by showing how species have changed over time. Fossils of organisms that lived in the past show how they were adapted to their environment, and how they changed over time to become better adapted. For example, fossils of early horses show that they had four toes, while modern horses have only one toe. This suggests that the horses evolved over time to become better adapted to their environment. The fossil record also shows how some species have gone extinct, which suggests that they were not able to adapt to their environment and were outcompeted by other species. This provides evidence for the idea of natural selection, which states that species that are better adapted to their environment will survive and reproduce more successfully than those that are not.