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The totality of fossils is known as the fossil record. Though the fossil record is incomplete, numerous studies have demonstrated that there is enough information available to give a good understanding of the pattern of diversification of life on Earth.
The fossil or physical records are inherently incomplete - the geologic record is selective and some environments are more likely to be preserved than others. Taphonomy, affecting the over- and underrepresentation of fossils, is an extremely important consideration in interpreting fossil assemblages.
The fossil record is very uneven and, with few exceptions, is heavily slanted toward organisms with hard parts, leaving most groups of soft-bodied organisms with little to no fossil record. [39] The groups considered to have a good fossil record, including a number of transitional fossils between traditional groups, are the vertebrates, the ...
Therefore, the fossil record is too incomplete for scientists to determine what kinds of eggshell most fossil reptile groups had. A 5.9 cm by 3.79 cm fossil from the Lower Permian was described in 1939 by Alfred Romer and Lewellyn Price as the oldest hard-shelled fossil egg.
The geologic record in stratigraphy, paleontology and other natural sciences refers to the entirety of the layers of rock strata. That is, deposits laid down by volcanism or by deposition of sediment derived from weathering detritus ( clays , sands etc.).
Hence the fossil record is very incomplete, increasingly so further back in time. Despite this, it is often adequate to illustrate the broader patterns of life's history. [58] There are also biases in the fossil record: different environments are more favorable to the preservation of different types of organism or parts of organisms. [59]
It is another challenge faced by paleontologists as the fossil records are often incomplete. [61] Moreover, some localities have better-preserved record due to their geological history than the others, leading to misinterpretations in biogeography. [62]
Hence, the fossil record is very incomplete, increasingly so as earlier times are considered. Despite this, they are often adequate to illustrate the broader patterns of life's history. [38] Also, biases exist in the fossil record: different environments are more favourable to the preservation of different types of organism or parts of ...