What is a transitional fossil?
Q: What is a transitional fossil?
A: A transitional fossil is a fossilised remains of lifeforms that show features typical of two distinct groups, such as Archaeopteryx which shows early features of a group which later becomes widespread.
Q: What does the rarity of transitional forms suggest?
A: The rarity of transitional forms suggests that the new forms are not yet dominant in the ecology of their time, and their populations are relatively small, meaning that their fossils would be scarce.
Q: What was dominant in the air during the Jurassic period?
A: In the Jurassic period, pterosaurs were dominant in the air.
Q: How do birds found in Chinese lagerstatten deposits differ from Lower Cretaceous birds?
A: Birds found in Chinese lagerstatten deposits are more primitive compared to Lower Cretaceous birds, who developed features that enabled them to invade habitat niches which had been previously unexplored or occupied by pterosaurs before then.
