smc-4312-15-Mammals

Analyse the evidence for the evolution of marsupials in Australia. In your answer, describe one piece of fossil evidence that supports the evolution of marsupials in Australia and provide one limitation of using fossil evidence to reconstruct evolutionary histories. (4 marks)

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Fossil evidence strongly supports the evolution of marsupials in Australia.
Riversleigh fossil deposits in Queensland provide important fossil evidence from 33 Mya. These deposits contain marsupial fossils of the ancestors of modern kangaroos, koalas, and wombats.
The diversity and age of these fossils demonstrate the long evolutionary history of marsupials on the Australian continent and provide insights into their adaptive radiation into various ecological niches.
A limitation of using fossil evidence to reconstruct evolutionary histories is the incompleteness of the fossil record.
Many species may not fossilise due to their soft bodies or the absence of suitable preservation conditions, leading to gaps in our understanding of evolutionary transitions.

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Fossil evidence strongly supports the evolution of marsupials in Australia.
Riversleigh fossil deposits in Queensland provide important fossil evidence from 33 Mya. These deposits contain marsupial fossils of the ancestors of modern kangaroos, koalas, and wombats.
The diversity and age of these fossils demonstrate the long evolutionary history of marsupials on the Australian continent and provide insights into their adaptive radiation into various ecological niches.
A limitation of using fossil evidence to reconstruct evolutionary histories is the incompleteness of the fossil record.
Many species may not fossilise due to their soft bodies or the absence of suitable preservation conditions, leading to gaps in our understanding of evolutionary transitions.