5. after you have found a new species of ape, you spend 10 years in the field seeking a fossil of its ancestor. you do not find a fossil that can be considered ancestral. this lack of fossil data: completely negates the anatomical and genetic data you have collected that indicate your new species is a type of gorilla. is expected, because the fossil record is incomplete. is expected, because the species is too young to have fossilized ancestors. is unexpected, because the fossil record shows a complete record of all vertebrates.

This lack of fossil data is expected, because the fossil record is incomplete.

Explanation:

Fossilization is a slow, complex and extremely rare process that depends on several favorable conditions for the conservation of traces or materials left by an organism:

1 - Rapid burial of the material;

2 - Presence of rigid parts that are more resistant to degradation;

3 - The type of sediment should be thin and less prone to erosion.

4 - The environment in which the material is located should be low in oxygen to avoid degradation due to oxidation.

5 - The temperature of the place where the material is buried should preferably be cold because the action of decomposing microorganisms in these environments is much lower.

Therefore, it is very common and expected that the fossil record is incomplete.