The following questions refer to the paragraph below. A sediment core is removed from the floor of an inland sea. The sea has been in existence, off and on, throughout the entire time that terrestrial life has existed. Researchers wish to locate and study the terrestrial organisms fossilized in this core. The core is illustrated as a vertical column, with the top of the column representing the most recent strata and the bottom representing the time when land was first colonized by life. Figure 25.2 -In order to properly interpret sediment cores, it is necessary to apply the principle of
A) catastrophism. B) superposition. C) punctuated equilibrium. D) uniformitarianism. E) gradualism.