Answer:
The information provided describes a rock column with three different types of fossils found in different rock layers. Here is the breakdown:
Lowest Rock Layer: Contains a trace fossil of a desert reptile species. A trace fossil is a preserved evidence of the activity of an organism, such as footprints, burrows, or tracks. In this case, it indicates the presence of a desert reptile species in the past.
Middle Rock Layer: Contains 5 index fossils that were present 500,000 years ago. Index fossils are fossils of organisms that were widespread but existed for a relatively short period of time. They are useful for dating and correlating rock layers. The presence of 5 different index fossils suggests a diverse range of organisms existed during that specific time period.
Top Rock Layer: Contains a fossil of a fish species. This indicates the presence of a fish species in the past, likely in a different geological time period compared to the other fossils in the rock column.
Overall, the rock column provides evidence of different organisms that existed at different times. The trace fossil of the desert reptile suggests the presence of reptiles in the earliest period, followed by the presence of multiple index fossils indicating a diverse ecosystem 500,000 years ago, and finally, the fossil of a fish species in a more recent geological time period.
Step-by-step explanation: