Which of the following is an essential characteristic of an index fossil?
A)The organism lived only in specific environments such as beaches or estuaries.
B)The organism only lived for a short period of geologic time.
C)The fossils are exceptionally abundant and well preserved.
D)The fossils occur in deep-water marine sediments,but the organism actually lived in the sunlit,surface layer of the ocean.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

An essential characteristic of an index fossil is that it only lived for a short period of geologic time. This allows it to be used as a marker for a specific time period in the rock record.

Which of the Following Is an Essential Characteristic of an Index