Why are fossils considered to be an incomplete record of evolution?

The fossil record shows changes in kinds of organisms that lived on earth. The fossil record shows that many animals are extinct. The fossil record is biased for organisms that had hard shells and skeletons. Fossils document how new organisms come from preexisting organisms.

Answer:

Option - 3

The fossil record is biased for the organisms that had hard shells and skeletons

Explanation:

The fossils are considered to be an incomplete record of evolution because the fossil record is biased for the organisms that had hard shells and skeletons.

Fossils are leftovers of biotic entities that have been preserved in sediments. The fossil record is crucial to the understanding of evolution and the history of life.

Explanation:

The fossil record is biased for organisms that had hard shells and skeletons.

Also, The fossil record is considered to be incomplete because fossilization is a very rare phenomenon. Most organisms decompose quickly after their death, and their remains dispersed. In order for fossilization to occur, the remains have to be covered by sediments and stay undisturbed for thousands of years. Hard, bony body parts are most likely to be fossilized (such as teeth, bones and shells). Thus, soft-bodied or cellular organisms such as invertebrates or prokaryotes are the most unlikely to be fossilized and underrepresented in the fossil record.