Question

is the fossil record a representative sampling, or is it a selective sample? what would bias which species would fossilize?

Answer 1

Fossils provides the evidence of organism from the past and they are relative to each other from a progression of evolution. Fossil record is a very good source of evidence about past organisms. Many fossils are incomplete because some animals were soft bodied or soft tissue which decays fastly.

Fossil record influence the selective sample. Sampling bias can generate patterns in the fossil record which appear to may be selective. Sampling of extant species and of fossil is probably selective in. The fossil record represents the preserved and recognized system of all life during the past more years. Representative sample characters are focused on special characteristics such as sex, age, educational level.Representative sample should be an unbiased action of what the population is like.

Fossil record bias means that the fossil record is not an accurate representation of all species that existed on earth during a given period of time. Our fossil records only represents about 5% of organism that were living. Bias in the fossil record involves hard body parts fossilize better than soft body parts. The organism's habitat have major role in whether it will be preserved and fossilized. Some of the hard parts may dissolve quickly, thus preventing them from being fossilized. Other organism break apart after death. Fragile organisms are less likely to be preserved and fossilized.