The fossil record serves as a historical archive of life on Earth, showcasing a chronological sequence of organisms and their morphological changes over millions of years. By examining transitional fossils, scientists can observe gradual changes and adaptations that correlate with environmental shifts, revealing how certain traits became advantageous for survival and reproduction. For instance, fossils of horses illustrate the evolution from small, forest-dwelling ancestors to larger, grassland-adapted species, highlighting natural selection's role in shaping anatomical features like limb structure and tooth size in response to changing diets and habitats. Additionally, the stratification of fossils in different geological layers demonstrates how species have emerged and become extinct over time, supporting the notion that evolutionary processes, particularly natural selection, drive the diversity and complexity of life on Earth.
In three to five sentences, explain how the fossil record provides evidence for the idea of natural selection.(4 points)
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