Question
It took more than 3 billion years for life to spread from the oceans onto land. All organisms that lived on land evolved during the 550 million years that followed.
How might this relatively rapid diversification of land species be explained?
• The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.
• The change in environments resulted in lower biodiversity.
• The move to land environments led to fewer changes in species over time.
• Spreading to land did not affect the amount of change in species over time.
How might this relatively rapid diversification of land species be explained?
• The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.
• The change in environments resulted in lower biodiversity.
• The move to land environments led to fewer changes in species over time.
• Spreading to land did not affect the amount of change in species over time.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The explanation for the relatively rapid diversification of land species after the initial move from oceans to land is best described by the statement:
**The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.**
This is because the transition to terrestrial environments presented new challenges and opportunities for organisms, driving the evolution of a diverse range of adaptations. As species adapted to various land-based niches—such as in different types of ecosystems (forests, grasslands, deserts, etc.)—this increased the rate of diversification and speciation. The variety of environmental pressures and the ability to exploit new resources contributed to the rapid evolution of land-dwelling species during that 550 million-year period.
**The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.**
This is because the transition to terrestrial environments presented new challenges and opportunities for organisms, driving the evolution of a diverse range of adaptations. As species adapted to various land-based niches—such as in different types of ecosystems (forests, grasslands, deserts, etc.)—this increased the rate of diversification and speciation. The variety of environmental pressures and the ability to exploit new resources contributed to the rapid evolution of land-dwelling species during that 550 million-year period.