After examining the fossil record, scientists have determined that scorpions today are much smaller than their extinct ancestors. For example, Jaekelopterus rhenaniae, a giant scorpion species that lived 255 million to 460 million years ago, was 2.5 meters long. Which of the following conclusions is supported by this information?
Question 12 options:
Scorpions living today have increased their numbers since they first appeared.
Scorpions in the fossil record are smaller than their descendants are.
Scorpions have changed as a result of natural selection.
Scorpions do not appear in their original state in the fossil record due to a mistake.