Question

The fossil record of insects has more gaps and larger gaps than the fossil record of vertebrates. Why is that so? (Select two that are correct out of the three)

1. Insects had fewer hard body parts that could fossilize the way vertebrates did.
2. There have been fewer insects than vertebrates throughout geological history.
3. Insects left trace evidence that could fossilize more often than vertebrates.

Answer 1

The fossil record of insects has more gaps and larger gaps than the fossil record of vertebrates due to: 1) Insects having fewer hard body parts that could fossilize, unlike vertebrates with internal skeletons, and 2) There are fewer insects compared to vertebrates throughout geological history, resulting in fewer opportunities for insect fossils to be preserved.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fossil record of insects has more gaps and larger gaps than the fossil record of vertebrates for two main reasons:

1. Insects had fewer hard body parts that could fossilize the way vertebrates did. Insects primarily have exoskeletons made of chitin, which do not preserve well in the fossil record. On the other hand, vertebrates have internal skeletons made of bone and cartilage, which have a higher chance of being preserved and fossilized.
2. There have been fewer insects than vertebrates throughout geological history. Insects are a diverse and abundant group of animals, with hundreds of thousands of described species. However, compared to the number of vertebrate species, insects are much less numerous. This means that there have been fewer opportunities for insects to be fossilized and for their fossils to be preserved in the fossil record.