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 fewer changes in species over time
• The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.
• Spreading to land did not affect the amount of change in species over time.
• The change in environments resulted in lower biodiversity.
How might this relatively rapid diversification of land species be explained?
• The move to land environments led to fewer changes in species over time
• The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.
• Spreading to land did not affect the amount of change in species over time.
• The change in environments resulted in lower biodiversity.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The relatively rapid diversification of land species in the 550 million years following the move to land can be best explained by the option:
**The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.**
When organisms transitioned from aquatic environments to terrestrial ones, they encountered a variety of new challenges and opportunities, leading to greater evolutionary changes. The development of new adaptations to cope with factors such as gravity, desiccation, nutrient acquisition, and reproduction away from water likely spurred significant diversification. This period, which includes the Cambrian explosion and subsequent evolutionary events, saw the emergence of various life forms, leading to increased biodiversity.
**The move to land environments led to more changes in species over time.**
When organisms transitioned from aquatic environments to terrestrial ones, they encountered a variety of new challenges and opportunities, leading to greater evolutionary changes. The development of new adaptations to cope with factors such as gravity, desiccation, nutrient acquisition, and reproduction away from water likely spurred significant diversification. This period, which includes the Cambrian explosion and subsequent evolutionary events, saw the emergence of various life forms, leading to increased biodiversity.