Where would you place the actual extinction date of a taxon if you knew that the Signor-Lipps effect was at work?
A) exactly at the date of the last-known fossil
B) after the date of the last-known fossil
C) before the date of the last-known fossil
D) It is not possible to determine when extinction occurred relative to the date of the last-known fossil.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Signor-Lipps effect suggests that the last appearance of a taxon in the fossil record may not represent its true extinction date. It is possible that the taxon became extinct some time after the last-known fossil was deposited, so the actual extinction date would be after the date of the last-known fossil. Therefore, the best choice would be B.

Where Would You Place the Actual Extinction Date of a Taxon