Question

Paleontologists searching for signs of ancient life have found many fossilized specimens of prehistoric human ancestors, including several from the Pleistocene era discovered in a geological formation in the Minatogawa quarry in Japan. However, to study the emergence of the earliest multicellular organisms to appear on Earth, researchers must turn elsewhere, such as to the Ediacaran geological formation at Mistaken Point in Canada. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the 146-hectare reserve contains more than 10,000 fossils that together document a critical moment in evolutionary history. What does the text indicate about the geological formation at Mistaken Point? Choose 1 answer:

A) It holds a greater number of fossils but from a smaller variety of species than the formation in the Minatogawa quarry does.
B) It has provided evidence that the earliest human species may have emerged before the Pleistocene era.
C) It contains specimens from an older time period than those found in the formation in the Minatogawa quarry.
D) It is widely considered by paleontologists to be the most valuable source of information about prehistoric life forms.

Answer 1

The geological formation at Mistaken Point is significant because it contains specimens from a more ancient time period than the Minatogawa quarry, housing fossils that document a critical moment in evolutionary history dealing with early multicellular life. Therefore, the correct option is c.

Step-by-step explanation:

The text indicates that the geological formation at Mistaken Point contains specimens from an older time period than those found in the formation at the Minatogawa quarry. The Mistaken Point reserve is a crucial site for understanding early multicellular life on Earth because it houses over 10,000 fossils documenting a critical moment in evolutionary history, known for the Ediacaran biota dating back around 600 to 700 million years ago. This precedes the Pleistocene era, during which the fossils in the Minatogawa quarry were deposited. Thus, for studying the emergence of the earliest multicellular organisms, researchers look to formations such as the one at Mistaken Point.