biology???/?
hey everyone im stuck on these 2 biology questions i need some help so if you can please help me . 10points and best answer. thanks so much.
How do scientists learn about organisms of the past when studying fossils?
Summarize Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection.
They use carbon dating to see how old the fossil is.
Hoped that helped.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/9-12/features/F_Field_Trip_Into_Past.html
fossils tell scientists what era the organisms existed in. scientists use radioactive carbon dating to determine the age of the organism in the fossil. Fossils also tell us physical characteristics of the organism and we can extrapolate our knowledge of evolution to understand the development of the current version of the organism.
Darwin’s theory of natural selection is simple. In a species, individuals are born with mutations. Certain mutations are beneficial, and improve chances of survival, while others are harmful and prevent the individual from living healthily and reproducing to pass on its genome. Natural selection is how the environment, the individual’s habitat, plays into the survival rate of the individual. Mutations that help the individual survive will be passed on to future generations because the mutated individual is more likely to reproduce compared to non-mutated individuals. Therefore, these passed on mutations indicate a natural selection: nature’s determination of who survives and who doesn’t (and therefore, which traits are passed on which aren’t).
The main method follwed by scientists to discover information about ancient organisms is "Paleobiology"
Definition:Paleobiology (sometimes spelled palaeobiology) is a growing and comparatively new discipline which combines the methods and findings of the natural science biology with the methods and findings of the earth science paleontology. It is occasionally referred to as "geobiology."
Further information:Paleobiological or paleobiologic research uses biological field research of current biota and of fossils millions of years old to answer questions about the molecular evolution and the evolutionary history of life. In this scientific quest, macrofossils, microfossils and trace fossils are typically analyzed. However, the 21st-century biochemical analysis of D.N.A. and R.N.A. samples offers much promise, as does the biometric construction of phylogenetic trees.
Paleobotany
applying the principles and methods of paleobiology to flora, especially green land plants, but also including the fungi and seaweeds (algae). See also mycology, phycology and dendrochronology.
Paleozoology
using the methods and principles of paleobiology to understand fauna, both vertebrates and invertebrates. See also vertebrate and invertebrate paleozoology, as well as paleoanthropology.
Micropaleobiology
applying paleobiologic principles and methods to archaea, bacteria, protists, microscopic pollen/spores, and perhaps someday viruses. See also microfossils, palynology, and microorganisms.
Paleobiochemistry
using the methods and principles of organic chemistry to detect and analyze molecular-level evidence of ancient life, both microscopic and macroscopic.
Paleoecology
examining past ecosystems, climates, and geographies so as to better comprehend prehistoric life.
Paleotaphonomy
analyzing the post-mortem history (for example, decay and decomposition) of an individual organism in order to gain insight on the behavior, death and environment of the fossilized organism.
Paleoichnology
analyzing the tracks, borings, trails, burrows, impressions, and other trace fossils left by ancient organisms in order to gain insight into their behavior and ecology.
Stratigraphic paleobiology
studying long-term secular changes, as well as the (short-term) bed-by-bed sequence of changes, in organismal characteristics and behaviors. See also stratification, sedimentary rocks and the geologic time scale. Evolutionary developmental paleobiology
examining the evolutionary aspects of the modes and trajectories of growth and development in the evolution of life — clades both extinct and extant. See also adaptive radiation, cladistics, evolutionary biology, developmental biology and phylogenetic tree.
information was extracted from:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleobiology
Hope that helps ‘-’