Final answer:
The correct answer is c. The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit, is an example of a body fossil. Body fossils are physical remains of an organism, differentiated from trace fossils that show the activity but not the body of the organism. Despite the fossil record's incompleteness, body fossils are essential in understanding the history of life.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asked was, which of the following is an example of a body fossil? It includes options a. A perfect mold of a dinosaur bone, b. A carbon print left by a leaf, c. The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit and d. A dinosaur footprint. The correct answer is c. The skull of a mammoth that fell into a tar pit.
A body fossil refers to the actual remains of an organism, such as bones, teeth, or shells, that have been preserved in the earth. These differ from trace fossils, like footprints or imprints, which indicate the activity of an organism but do not consist of the organism itself. The mammoth's skull that fell into a tar pit is an example of a body fossil because it is the physical remains of the creature. The conditions in the tar pit were able to preserve the skull, making it an excellent example of a body fossil.
Biological anthropologists and other scientists use body fossils to study the life and characteristics of plants and animals from the past. Despite the fact that the fossil record is incomplete, body fossils provide invaluable information on extinct species, thus helping to piece together the history of life on Earth.
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