Question
What is the missing link? Give examples of missing links from animals and plants.
Answer
The extinct organism bearing characters of two different groups are known as missing links.
Examples of missing links from animals:
- Archaeopteryx: a fossil bird that has features of both reptiles and birds, such as teeth, a long bony tail, and feathers.
- Tiktaalik: a fossil fish that has features of both fish and tetrapods, such as a flat head, lungs, and a shoulder girdle.
Examples of missing links from plants:
- Rhynia: a fossil plant that shows features of both bryophytes and vascular plants, such as simple conducting tissues and sporangia.
- Archaeosperma: a fossil plant that shows features of both seedless plants and gymnosperms, such as branched stems and ovules with exposed seeds.
