Page 22 - The Restless Earth Fossils
P. 22
Fossils 21
may have coexisted, although only Homo sapiens remains
today. All the fossil evidence to date indicates that human
beings have developed from preexisting species and depend
on interactions with countless other living things in order to
survive.
Because fossils are rare and because only some organisms
are likely to become fossils, scientists must always use caution in
drawing broad conclusions from studying fragmentary remains
that are biased in favor of creatures with easily fossilized parts and
that died under certain special conditions. The next chapter will
demonstrate just how “lucky” a creature has to be to become an
entry in the fossil record.
RE_Fossils2print.indd 21 3/17/09 8:58:48 AM
