Indiana is home to fossilized crinoids. These small, sea-dwelling invertebrates are vaguely reminiscent of starfish, and some species of crinoid are still present on Earth today, but these animals were especially common in the world's oceans about 400 million years ago. How is this information important to the theory of evolution?

Question

Indiana is home to fossilized crinoids. These small, sea-dwelling invertebrates are vaguely reminiscent of starfish, and some species of crinoid are still present on Earth today, but these animals were especially common in the world's oceans about 400 million years ago. How is this information important to the theory of evolution?

Responses
A The presence of crinoid fossils in Indiana provides evidence that populations have changed over time.The presence of crinoid fossils in Indiana provides evidence that populations have changed over time.
B The presence of crinoids in Indiana provides evidence that populations here on Earth have remained unchanged over timeThe presence of crinoids in Indiana provides evidence that populations here on Earth have remained unchanged over time
C This information is not important because change over time does not happen.This information is not important because change over time does not happen.
D The evidence shows that Indiana has always been above water.

Answer 1

A The presence of crinoid fossils in Indiana provides evidence that populations have changed over time. Fossil evidence shows that crinoids were once much more abundant than they are today, which suggests that populations have evolved and changed over time. This fits with the theory of evolution, which proposes that species change and adapt over time through natural selection.

Answer 2

A The presence of crinoid fossils in Indiana provides evidence that populations have changed over time.

Answer 3