Question

which are the remains of species that existed on earth for relatively short periods of time, were abundant, and were wide-spread geographically

Answer 1

The Glossopteridales are the fossils that occur on the most of the landmasses. They are the extinct group of seed plants. The rapid appearance of this one gives us more understanding about the Paleobiography, this is the study of animals and plants distribution through the years.
The appearance of Glossopteridales fossils also helped scientists to study so much about their species, that includes their seeds, leaves, branches and their oddly shaped roots. They grew at the beginning of the Permian and started to extinct at the end of the Permian period.