Multiple choice

The term living fossil refers to a

  1. lifelike fossil well preserved in amber

  2. fossil formed from a living animal

  3. living animal which is about to be fossilised

  4. living organisms showing some primitive characteristics
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A living fossil refers to an extant organism that has remained relatively unchanged over long geological periods and retains primitive characteristics of its ancestral group. Examples include coelacanths, horseshoe crabs, and ginkgo trees. These species appear similar to fossils from millions of years ago, hence the term. It does not refer to fossils themselves or animals about to become fossils.

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