Is It Possible for Scientists to Study Events That Happened

question 13

Multiple Choice

Is it possible for scientists to study events that happened to animals or plants that lived millions of years ago?

• A) Yes. Apply the laws of physics and nature that we know exist today to evaluate the evidence of past events. For example, observe modern animal behavior, structure, and function, and compare them to the structures of fossilized animals to deduce the function of the fossilized structures.
• B) No. The laws of physics that exist today are not the same laws of physics that existed in the past, so there is no way to compare plant or animal fossils to those of modern organisms and deduce the function of fossilized structures.
• C) Yes. Genetic manipulation of fossils allows scientists to directly test metabolic and behavioral characteristics of plants and animals from the past.
• D) No. There is no way to analyze plant or animal fossils that lived millions of years ago because the laws of nature that exist today have changed dramatically from the past.

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Definitions:

Language Information

Pertains to the data and knowledge conveyed through spoken, written, or signed symbols and structures used in communication.

Truth

A concept referring to the state or quality of being true, accurate, or in accordance with fact or reality.

Endorphins

Neurochemicals produced by the body that reduce pain and boost happiness, often referred to as natural painkillers.

Pain Sensation

The unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage.