Question

17. why is the horseshoe crab an example of a living fossil? a. it hasn't changed since it first appeared on earth. b. it's often found frozen to death and free of decomposition. c. there are fossils of extinct ancestors of horseshoe crabs, and the species is still alive today. d. the structures in the horseshoe crab don't decompose, so complete fossils are discovered.

Answer 1

The horseshoe crab is called a living fossil because its current form is very similar to its ancient ancestors, showing little evolutionary change over time.

Step-by-step explanation:

The horseshoe crab is considered a living fossil because it has remained largely unchanged over a vast period of evolutionary history. When we look at fossils of extinct ancestors of horseshoe crabs and compare them to the species that are still alive today, we see a remarkable similarity. This is an indication that horseshoe crabs have retained many of the same physical traits and behaviors of their ancient counterparts, suggesting minimal evolutionary change.