The Average Span of a Species in the Fossil Record

Question

The average span of a species in the fossil record is
A) 1 million years
B) 4 million years
C) 10 million years
D) 20 million years
E) 100 million years

Accepted Answer

The average span of a species in the fossil record is approximately 4 million years. This estimate varies among different studies and depends on the group of organisms and the time period in question, but 4 million years is a commonly cited figure in paleontology.